[El Universal] The United States "revoked" the visa of Venezuela's ambassador to Washington, Bernardo Alvarez, said on Wednesday Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Minister Temir Porras, who provided no further details.
"Confirmed. The USA revoked the visa of Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez," wrote the deputy foreign minister in his Twitter account @ temirporras, AFP reported.
The decision came one day after President Hugo Chavez revived a diplomatic dispute with the United States and challenged Washington to "cut diplomatic relations" for the impasse related to US ambassador-designate Larry Palmer.
"If the government (of the United States) is to expel our ambassador there, let them do so! If they are to cut diplomatic relations, let them do so!" said Chavez on Tuesday. Reference was made to the White House's insistence that Caracas accepts the new US ambassador-designate Larry Palmer.
On Wednesday, State Department front man Mark Toner reiterated that the United States believes it is of national interest to have an ambassador in Caracas, given high diplomatic tension between the two countries. |