Venezuela to close consulate in US

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (file photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/220972.html

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has ordered the closure of the country's consulate in the US city of Miami amid tensions over the expulsion of Venezuelan Consul General Livia Acosta Noguera.

Chavez said on Friday that the country will close its consulate in Miami, Florida, over the “unjust” and “abusive” removal of Acosta.

"What we are going to do is administratively close the consulate, while we study the situation, because it is unjust, it is abusive, it is immoral, the expulsion of the madame consult," Chavez said in a speech to the national assembly.

He added that Venezuela would not retaliate for the expulsion, nor would it expel a US consul in the country.

"Someone recommended that we needed to expel somebody. No, I said, we are not going to respond like they do. I have no reason to expel any US consul," he said.

On January 8, the US government expelled Acosta Noguera on accusations that she had planned a cyber attack against the US government in 2008.

The expulsion of Acosta is connected to a documentary that alleges the Venezuelan diplomat talked to a Mexican computer expert about the attacks in 2008 when she worked at the Venezuelan Embassy in Mexico.