US revokes Venezuelan Ambassador's visa

The United States has revoked the visa of the Venezuelan ambassador to Washington in apparent retaliation for Venezuela's rejection of the US envoy to Caracas, a diplomat said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to provide further details. A State Department spokesman earlier declined to comment on the rift between Caracas and the United States.

Venezuela is the fifth biggest supplier of oil for the United States, after Canada, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Nigeria.

In a briefing earlier on Wednesday, another State Department spokesman repeated the US position that Venezuela could suffer consequences because of its objection to President Barack Obama's selection of Larry Palmer to serve as Washington's ambassador to Caracas.

The spokesman declined to specify any consequences. He also said that, as far as he knew, Venezuela's ambassador to the United States was out of the country.

Washington and Caracas have been sharply at odds over Palmer's appointment since August, when Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said the envoy would not be allowed to take up his post because Palmer had criticized Chavez's leftist government.