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On January 9, the State Department expelled Venezuela's Miami consul general, Livia Acosta Noguera, on bogus claims about discussing cyber attacks while based in Mexico in 2008. In fact, she was set up, but didn't take the bait.
Nonetheless, a State Department spokesman said the move was taken in accordance with Article 23 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Yet it states:
"1. The sending State and the head of the mission shall be exempt from all national, regional or municipal dues in respect of the premises of the mission, whether owned or leased, other than such as represent payment for specific services rendered.""2. The exemption from taxation referred to in this article shall not apply to such dues and taxes payable under the law of the receiving State by persons contracting with the sending State or the head of the mission."
How this applies to Noguera wasn't explained. However, four hard-right congressional representatives complained about her. They falsely claimed she discussed attacking US government computer systems with Iranian and Cuban embassy officials and students while serving in Mexico.
They're some of Congress' worst, including Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R. FL), Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R. FL), Rep. David Rivera (R. FL), and Rep. Albio Sires (D. NJ).
Chavez called her expulsion "arbitrary and unjustified," saying it's "another demonstration of the arrogance of ridiculous imperialism.""She has been accused of I don't know how many things by the US government, and above all, by sectors of the ultra right-wing in Miami, including many Venezuelans who live there, counter-revolutionaries, not all of them, but a small group."
In fact, Noguera's been in Venezuela since December. "We already know this was going to happen, and so she has been in Caracas in order to avoid situations, possibly even dangerous ones."
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