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US apology over Chavez minister Venezuela rejects US apologies
(about 1 hour later)
The US state department has apologised to Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro who was briefly detained in a New York airport as he travelled home. Venezuela has made a formal complaint to the US authorities and the United Nations after its foreign minister was detained at a New York airport.
The US state department has apologised to Nicolas Maduro who was detained for 90 minutes at New York's JFK airport as he travelled home.
He had been attending this week's UN General Assembly meeting.He had been attending this week's UN General Assembly meeting.
He said he was held for 90 minutes and his travel documents taken in an incident he described as a "flagrant breach of international law". He said he was verbally abused and strip-searched in what he said was a "flagrant breach of international law".
Bilateral relations are already tense, and President Hugo Chavez described Mr Maduro's detention as a provocation. President Hugo Chavez described Mr Maduro's detention as a provocation.
Our correspondent Pascale Harter says the apology has done little to ease the tense relations between the two countries.
Mr Maduro said the US apology was not enough.Mr Maduro said the US apology was not enough.
"We were detained during an hour and a half, threatened by police with being beaten," he told reporters at Venezuela's mission to the UN. "We were detained during an hour and a half, threatened by police with being beaten," he told reporters at Venezuela's mission to the UN. "We hold the US government responsible."
"We hold the US government responsible." US authorities initially denied Mr Maduro had been detained and his documents seized, saying he had simply been asked to go through a second security screening.
US authorities initially denied Mr Maduro had been detained for 90 minutes and his documents seized, saying he had simply been asked to go through a second security screening.
The US state department later confirmed the incident had taken place and apologised.The US state department later confirmed the incident had taken place and apologised.
"The state department can confirm there was an incident with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro at JFK airport in New York," a spokesman said."The state department can confirm there was an incident with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro at JFK airport in New York," a spokesman said.
"The state department regrets this incident. The United States government apologised to Foreign Minister Maduro and the Venezuelan government.""The state department regrets this incident. The United States government apologised to Foreign Minister Maduro and the Venezuelan government."
Venezuela has made a formal complaint to the US authorities and to the UN secretary general about the incident.
Coup questionsCoup questions
President Chavez earlier said Mr Maduro had been questioned about his alleged role in a failed Venezuelan coup attempt in 1992, led by Mr Chavez.President Chavez earlier said Mr Maduro had been questioned about his alleged role in a failed Venezuelan coup attempt in 1992, led by Mr Chavez.
At a news conference in New York on Saturday, the foreign minister said his ticket and passport were confiscated illegally by US officials at the security check.
He said he was then verbally abused and strip-searched during a 90-minute interrogation.
US officials said airport security had questioned him, and diplomatic security was then sent to resolve the issue.US officials said airport security had questioned him, and diplomatic security was then sent to resolve the issue.
This latest episode shows that even small difficulties between the two governments are likely to trigger full-blown diplomatic rows, says the BBC's Greg Morsbach in Caracas.This latest episode shows that even small difficulties between the two governments are likely to trigger full-blown diplomatic rows, says the BBC's Greg Morsbach in Caracas.