The U.S. State Department has revoked the visas and diplomatic privileges of a dozen Venezuelan consular officials after a two-month dispute over the Venezuelan government's plans to relocate its Houston office.
Employees with the consulate general in Houston were given until Sunday to leave the country, or they will become illegal immigrants, a State Department official confirmed Friday. The consular office on Fountain View Drive was locked on Friday, with a notice taped in the window saying it will remain closed until further notice for reasons "beyond our control."
The expulsion stemmed from the Venezuelan Consulate's decision to move its Houston office to another location less than five miles away — apparently without getting permission from the State Department. Angelo Rivero Santos, the deputy chief of mission at the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, D.C., declined to answer questions about the Houston consular office, instead saying in a statement that "the situation which occurred in the General Consulate of Houston is of a technical nature relating to consular rules; it is not political."
"The communication processes related to this mishap have already been improved. The Consulate is currently undergoing a transition process; we are working in conjunction with United States authorities in order to resume activities as soon as possible."
Diplomatic spat
The closure follows a major diplomatic spat between the two countries. On Sept. 11, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ordered U.S. Ambassador Patrick Duddy to leave Venezuela. The next day, the State Department said it was expelling the Venezuelan ambassador to the U.S., Bernardo Alvarez. Chavez accused Duddy of conspiring against the Venezuelan government — a charge denied by U.S. officials.
On Friday afternoon, the consul general in Houston, Antonio Padrino, declined comment. "I'm leaving the U.S. now and can't talk about the situation," he said.
The consulate's closure has concerned and dismayed some in the local Venezuelan community. The Houston office was responsible for serving all of Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. The nearest consulate is now in New Orleans. "This is going to be a big problem for many people," said Elio Cequea, a legal permanent resident from Venezuela who has lived in Houston since 1990 and called the situation "a mess."
"There are all kinds of problems between the two governments," Cequea said. "This is payback."
According to the State Department, the Venezuelan government requested on Aug. 2 to move its office from a building near Briarpark Drive and Westheimer to a location a few miles away, on Fountain View Drive. Based on international protocol, all foreign diplomatic missions in the U.S. have to clear such moves with State, which has 60 days to approve, although such requests are generally considered a formality.
New address
On Sept. 18, although the department had not yet responded to the request, officials noticed the Houston office had a new address on the Web site of the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, said a senior State official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment.
After verifying the information, State Department officials warned the Venezuelan government to stop operating out of the new office. But in early October, the department, which had yet to decide on the transfer request, learned that the consular office was still open.
On Oct. 31, State officials informed the Venezuelan government that it was revoking the visas, immunity and other diplomatic privileges of the 12 Venezuelan employees.
Transfer approved
That same day, the department approved the consulate's transfer to the new location on Fountain View. Two American staffers will be allowed to work at the new location while Venezuela may transfer one of its diplomats already inside the U.S. to run the office, the State official said. Under the law, a home country national must staff an office in order for it to operate.
Luke T. Lee, a Maryland-based expert on consular law who has worked for the State Department, said he was not familiar with the situation with Venezuela, but said the unauthorized move seemed like an unusual reason to revoke diplomatic status. "Just by moving? There must be some other reason," said Lee.
Darlene Rivas, an associate professor of history and Latin American studies with Pepperdine University in California, said the problem may be merely "procedural," but "given the political tensions between the two countries, I would not be surprised if this were interpreted as a political move."
susan.carroll@chron.com
john.otis@chron.com
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