Chavez at it again...

[theHawk]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/11/14/mexico.venezuela.ap/index.html

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) -- Venezuela called its ambassador to Mexico home Monday rather than apologize after President Hugo Chavez warned Mexican leader Vicente Fox: "Don't mess with me." Mexico responded by recalling its own diplomat.

In an interview with CNN en Espanol, Fox said he would meet with Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez to decide what to do next.

Tensions between Fox and Chavez spilled over after this month's Summit of the Americas in Argentina, where Fox defended a U.S.-backed proposal for a Free Trade Area of the Americas while Chavez proclaimed the idea dead.

Mexico had said earlier Monday it would kick out Venezuelan ambassador Vladimir Villegas and recall its own ambassador to that country at midnight Monday unless Chavez's government said it was sorry after the Venezuelan leader said Sunday to Fox: "Don't mess with me, sir, because you'll get stung."

But in a news conference Monday in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, Foreign Secretary Ali Rodriguez said his country would not accept Mexico's demands.

"The immediate return of ambassador Vladimir Villegas has been ordered," Rodriguez said, adding that his departure was "leaving the affairs of our embassy in Mexico in the hands of an appointed charge-d'affaires."

Venezuela "rejects as an unjustified attack the ultimatum issued by the government of Mexico," Rodriguez said. "This situation is entirely the responsibility of President Fox."

Fox responded by saying he was going to continue to fight for free trade -- the topic that sparked the dispute between the two leaders.

He promised to keep the debate with Chavez from becoming personal, but added that "we can't allow people to offend our country."

In a statement late Sunday, Mexico's Foreign Relations Department said that because Chavez's comments "strike at the dignity of the Mexican people and government, Mexico demands a formal apology from Venezuela's government."

Earlier, Fox spokesman Ruben Aguilar said withdrawing ambassadors wouldn't mean severing ties completely with Venezuela because business and cultural relations would remain intact.

A diplomatic dispute with Cuba in 2004 led Mexico to expel the Cuban ambassador and withdraw its own emissary to Havana, a freeze that lasted for several months. Venezuela is a close ally of Cuba's.

Chavez's comments reignited a dispute that flared late last week but appeared to cool during the weekend.

On Friday, Aguilar demanded a satisfactory explanation from Venezuela for Chavez's comments accusing Fox of being a "puppy" of the U.S. government for supporting its plans for the free-trade zone. Aguilar said this country would take "appropriate steps" if it didn't get one.

But Mexico's Foreign Relations department released a statement a day later saying Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez and his Venezuelan counterpart, Ali Rodriguez, had a "cordial and productive" talk and that the countries were moving closer to a resolution of the dispute that would strengthen their bilateral relationship