Venezuelan Diplomats In
Houston Asked To Leave
Washington - Venezuelan
diplomats stationed in
Houston have been asked
by the U.S. government
to leave the country,
State Department said on
Monday.
According to State
Department deputy
spokesman Robert Wood,
the Venezuelan
government in August
requested U.S
authorization to lease
office space for its
consulate in Houston,
but they went ahead and
leased the property
prior to getting
authorization.
The move was viewed by
the department as a
violation of the Foreign
Relations Act, said
Wood.
"On Oct. 31, the
department informed the
Venezuelan Embassy that
it intended to withdraw
the privileges and
immunities of the
Venezuelan staff at the
consulate, and cancel
their diplomatic visas,
... therefore invited
those individuals to
depart the United
States," Wood said in a
statement.
Venezuela still has
permission to operate a
consulate in Houston,
said Wood, adding that a
consular officer can
serve temporarily at the
new office space in
Houston "until the
Venezuelan government
makes requests for visas
for permanent
replacement staff."
"We will continue to
work with the government
of Venezuela to resolve
staffing issues at the
missions in both of our
countries," he added.
About two months ago,
Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez ordered U.S.
Ambassador Patrick Duddy
to leave Venezuela,
accusing the Bush
administration of trying
to oust him and vowing
to send an ambassador
when "there is a new
government in the United
States."
In the next day, U.S.
State Department
announced that the
Venezuelan ambassador to
the United States was
expelled.
|
