Paraguay urges US to 'accelerate' departure of ambassador

The government of Paraguay on Thursday effectively ordered the U.S. ambassador to leave the South American nation, escalating tensions between the allies in the wake of the Biden administration’s sanctions on a tobacco company linked to the country’s powerful former president.

In a dramatic statement that took diplomats aback, the Paraguayan Foreign Ministry asked the U.S. government to “accelerate the departure process” of Ambassador Marc Ostfield, a career diplomat appointed by President Joe Biden in June 2021.