CARACAS, Venezuela, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- A Christian missionary group from the United States has been ordered to leave Venezuela.
President Hugo Chavez has repeatedly called for the expulsion of the New Tribes Mission, calling them spies of the CIA and colonialists, the BBC reported. He has told them to be out of the country by Sunday
Most of the 160 evangelical preachers and their families have already returned to the United States and only 30 New Tribes missionaries remain, the BBC said.
For the past 60 years, the Florida-based non-denominational Christian society has been trying to convert indigenous groups in Venezuela to Christianity.
A New Tribes spokesman told the BBC all the missionaries have left the tribal areas to comply with the Venezuelan government's demands. Venezuela's Interior Ministry, however, has called for the missionaries to leave Venezuela altogether.
