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The Associated Press also interviewed José Kayupare, a Puinare Indian who countered Chavez's assertions. NTM helped communities combat malaria and other diseases, sometimes even flying sick indigenous people to get medical help when the government abandoned them, he noted. Throwing out the mission would hurt poor indigenous communities, he said.

The Evangelical Council of Venezuela issued a communiqué supporting NTM at a special meeting called Friday. In the communiqué, the council reminded the government that Venezuela's constitution guarantees presumption of innocence and called for the government to open an investigation that follows due process. The council also asked for the government to show any evidence it may have that NTM is engaged in illicit activity.

Sam Olson, the council's president, is concerned that Chavez's move is the first step in a larger plan. He fears the worst for isolated indigenous communities should NTM workers indeed be deported. He said the indigenous tribes will be left unassisted in terms of medicine, transportation, and other support. And if the foreigners are forced to exit, Venezuelan citizens working with NTM may be punished as well.

"I realize that the impact in the area will be great as this is just the beginning of the area's 'liberation' from all evangelization," Olson wrote in an e-mail. "One of the Venezuelan pastors who has worked in San Fernando de Apure founding scores of churches wept yesterday as he described the atropello [abuse] of his Venezuelan missionaries from the area."

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See our earlier coverage, "Venezuela to Expel New Tribes Mission."

Some blame the explusion on Pat Robertson's recent comments on Chavez.

The New Tribes Mission website may have more updates over the weekend. Google News will track newspaper reports, but readers who understand Spanish will find Google News's Argentina site more informative.

Christianity Today's earlier coverage of New Tribes Mission includes articles on Martin and Gracia Burnham and the Panama hostages. Christianity Today sister publication Today's Christian recently published missionary daughter Joanna Harris's account of a mission compound invasion in Colombia.

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October (Web-only) 2005, Vol. 49