Venezuela’s Chavez says his government will close consulate in Miami over diplomat’s expulsion

[Little Tich]

Source: The Washington Post / AP

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Friday that his government will close its consulate in Miami after the U.S. government expelled a diplomat.

Chavez said he decided the consulate will shut its doors in response to what he called an unfair action by the U.S. State Department.

“We’re going to close it. It’s OK. There won’t be a consulate in Miami,” Chavez said during his annual speech to the National Assembly.

Livia Acosta Noguera, Venezuela’s consul general in Miami, was ordered out of the U.S. last weekend followed an FBI investigation into allegations that she discussed a possible cyber-attack on the U.S. government while she was assigned to the Venezuelan Embassy in Mexico. The allegations were detailed in a documentary aired by the Spanish-language broadcaster Univision.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/hugo-chavez-predicts-year-of-tests-in-annual-speech-to-venezuelas-national-assembly/2012/01/13/gIQAQrOjwP_story.html

[David__77]

1. That's stupid.

They should have a consulate there. There is a large Venezuelan community there.

[dipsydoodle]

3. Tit for tat retaliation

He'd have been insulted by the expulsion of Livia Acosta Noguera some days back which was as a result of the Univision documentary shown in the USA. Univision are VERY anti Chavez.

More on subject here : http://news.yahoo.com/chavez-venezuela-close-consulate-miami-204919890.html

For more on Univision see Judi's post : http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=20755

Doubtless things will calm again given time.

[Bacchus4.0]

7. who was he retaliating against? his fellow citizens?? n/t

s

[MADem]

2. Citizens will have to business by mail to the embassy in DC, or go to the one in New Orleans. nt

[msanthrope]

4. He's shutting it down so the expats in Miami can't vote against him in the upcoming election.

You can vote at a consulate. Now the people in Florida and the Carolinas will have to go to the NOLA consulate--provided he doesn't shut that down, too.

[COLGATE4]

5. Ding Ding Ding - we have a winner!!!!!

[bitchkitty]

6. Ya, that Chavez is a genius.

He actually wrote that "documentary", see? And his secret contacts within Univision produced it. He's so far seeing, he planned all of this, getting that diplomat expelled with those scripted lines in the mockumentary...

He keeps getting elected over and over, in spite of our BEST attempts to smear him and bring him down. CIA trolls are working overtime on this, and you never saw so many knickers in a twist!

Sigh...it probaby won't work, everything will calm down and kittens everywhere will fear for their lives!!!!!!

[msanthrope]

8. No--he's just taking advantage of the situation.

He has a consulate that could possibly provide votes for the opposition. He took advantage of the opportunity to close it.

And I imagine they are going to do one hell of a bug sweep....