Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez reiterated that it is impossible for the Venezuelan government to accept the designation of Larry Palmer as U.S ambassador to Venezuela.
“It’s impossible that he be accepted by a decent government, independently if it’s a revolutionary government. In diplomacy, by tradition, and under international law, it is not accepted that a person, even being an ambassador, make statements on the country’s internal affairs where he or she is going to perform their duties, as Mr. [Larry] Palmer did,” said the Venezuelan President during a telephone interview broadcast on the state television Venezolana de Televisión.
Chávez highlighted that the Venezuelan government has based its decision to not accept the U.S. official’s designation as ambassador on international principles of diplomacy and a preventive policy.
“Imagine if [Mr. Larry Palmer] were here. We’d surely have to expel him, which would be worse. It’s better safe than sorry. I think it’s a decision that even favors the U.S. government if it’s true – as they say – that they want to maintain better relations with Latin America and Venezuela,” he explained.
Larry Palmer, the U.S. ambassadorial nominee to Venezuela, violated elementary principles of diplomacy with a series of accusations against the Bolivarian Armed Forces the Venezuelan people and the Bolivarian government of Venezuela.
AVN/Press Office – Venezuelan Embassy to the U.S. / August 16, 2010
