La Paz - Following days of violent clashes between demonstrators for and against Bolivian President Evo Morales that have left 14 dead and scores of injured, both sides said Friday that they wanted to restore dialogue.

Morales was set to meet with the opposition governor of the province of Tarija, Mario Cossio, in La Paz, said Vice Minister for Social Movements Sacha Llorenti.

Earlier, Cossio had also told a press conference that he was willing to talk.

The opposition alliance - which controls the provinces of Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando and Tarija - is demanding the return of funds raised through a tax on natural gas, which the central government currently devotes to financing a pension for all citizens over 60.

Caracas - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez expelled the US ambassador, acting out of solidarity with his embattled Bolivian counterpart, Evo Morales.

US Ambassador Patrick Duddy had to leave the country within the next 72 hours, Chavez said Thursday night in a televised speech. At the same time, the leftist populist president recalled Venezuela's ambassador to the United States, Bernardo Alvarez.

Duddy arrived in Caracas last year.

La Paz - Bolivian President Evo Morales ordered the US ambassador out of the country, accusing the diplomat of supporting the opposition as Morales faces escalating anti-government protests.

"I declare the ambassador of the United States persona non grata," Morales said Wednesday on Bolivian television.

He accused Ambassador Philip Goldberg of supporting the opposition and their separatist aims. Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca was dispatched to advise Goldberg to leave the country at once, Morales said.

La Paz, Bolivia  - The conflict between left-wing populist President Evo Morales and five of the opposition-dominated provinces of Bolivia escalated Wednesday.

Looters overpowered national police to invade major telephone and television facilities in the large Bolivian city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, a day after tax-collection offices were targeted, Bolivian television ATB reported.

La Paz - Left-wing nationalist President Evo Morales was rebuffed Monday by the central election commission, which rejected his application for a controversial constitutional referendum on December 7.

The panel said it would not organize the vote.

The election commission president Jose Luis Exeni ruled that the parliament had to approve such referendum, as well as a second referendum about provincial powers that Moralese wants.

Morales had issued a decree last week that ordered the referendums to be held.

Tehran - Bolivian President