In this photo released by Miraflores Presidential Press Office, Venezuela's Vice President Nicolas Maduro, right, addresses the nation from Miraflores presidential palace as Governor Adan Chavez, the older brother of President Hugo Chavez, looks on in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, March 5, 2013. Maduro met with top Venezuelan government ministers, the military high command and all 20 loyalist governors in Caracas following word of President Hugo Chavez's deteriorating health. (AP Photo/Miraflores Presidential Press Office)
Venezuela to expel US Embassy official
Published: 06:33:40 PM, Tue 05 March 2013 UTC
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's vice president, Nicolas Maduro, says the government of President Hugo Chavez plans to expel a U.S. Embassy official for meeting with military officers and planning to destabilize the country.
Maduro identified the American as the Air Force attache and said he had been spying on the military.
He said the official has 24 hours to leave the country.
Embassy spokesman Greg Adams identified the attache as David Delmonaco.
Adams had no immediate comment.
"I'm sure we will be formulating some sort of response from Washington," he said.
He said he did not immediately know Delmonaco's rank.
Maduro spoke hours after the government said Chavez was in "very delicate" health after undergoing cancer surgery in December.
Tags:
adams, president hugo chavez, nicolas maduro, john adams, maduro, united states, culture_politics, vice president, president of the united states, federal government of the united states, sovereign state, venezuela, country, immediate comment, government, hugo chávez, cancer surgery, military officers, united states department of state, u.s. embassy official, air force attache, embassy official, embassy spokesman greg, david delmonaco
