VENEZUELA: US Rejects Chavez Demand Over Ambassador; Revokes Envoy's Visa.

BBC/
   The USA's State Department has refused to acceed to President Hugo Chavez's demand that its nominee for Venezuelan ambassador, Larry Palmer, be withdrawn.
    Chavez has been angered by some of Palmer's comments about the presence of FARC rebels there.
   Instead, State has revoked envoy Bernardo Alvarez Herrera's visa and expelled him.
  Revocation means he cannot return.
  Chavez had all but dared the USA to end diplomatic ties when he said:
"They will do what they want, but that man is not coming here as ambassador. Anyone who comes here as an ambassador has to show respect. This is a country that must be respected."

VENEZUELA: Chavez Gets New Discretionary Powers For 18 Months; Still Objects To U.S. Ambassador.

LATIMES/
    The National Assembly overwhelmingly approved giving President Hugo Chavez  new broad discretionary powers for 18 months.
   It was Chavez's fourth grant of temporary power since he took office in 1999.
   He had argued the special law was needed to deal with severe flooding that killed 40 and left 133,000 homeless.
   The assembly even gave Chavez six months more of special powers than he requested.

   ALSO...The U.S. refuses to drop Larry Palmer as nominee for Venezuela's ambassadorship.

  Chavez rejects Palmer because some critical remarks about Chavez's government disqualify him.
  During confirmation, Palmer suggested that morale was low in Venezuela's military and was concerned about Colombian rebels getting refuge in Venezuela. Washington refuses to drop the nomination.
 
 Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/18/1979551/us-venezuela-at-odds-on-ambassador.html#ixzz18Uklelw8

VENEZUELA: Chavez Will Refuse U.S. Diplomat; Resents Nation Labelled Counter-Drug Failure.

AP/       In a televised speech, President Hugo Chavez lashed out against President Obama's description of Venezuela as a failure in counter-drug efforts. In a recent memorandum, Venezuela was included with Bolivia and Myanmar as "countries that have failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to adhere to their obligations under international counter-narcotics agreements."
    Chavez also repeated that he will not accept nominee Larry Palmer (pictured) as U.S. ambassador. "We wouldn't allow him (Palmer) to enter Venezuelan territory," stated Chavez. "If they decide to throw out our ambassador, let them throw him out. That's their problem. It isn't our problem,"