Mexico: Venezuela and Mexico decided to withdraw ambassadors from each others' countries amid a deepening dispute between President Hugo Chavez and his Mexican counterpart, Vicente Fox.
The move came on Monday as Venezuela angrily rejected Mexico's demand that it apologize for statements by Chavez, who has called the Mexican President "a lapdog" of the US.
On Monday Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused Mexican leader Vicente Fox of disrespecting him and his close ally the Argentine President, warning Fox, ?Don't mess with me.''
Tensions between Fox and Chavez spilled after November's Summit of the Americas in Argentina, where Fox sought to defend a US-backed proposal for a free trade zone while Chavez proclaimed the idea dead.
Fox, a former Coca-Cola executive, is a strong supporter of US-backed plans for a Free Trade Area of the Americas, while the Venezuelan President is among the leading opponents to the proposed pan-American free-trade zone.
The outspoken Venezuelan leader stepped up his attacks during his weekly television show Sunday, warning Fox: "Don't mess with me, gentleman; you'll get hurt."
The Mexican government promptly threatened to lower diplomatic relations to charge affaires level unless Venezuela apologized for the comments, but Caracas preempted the ultimatum on Monday, saying it was pulling back its ambassador.
Minutes later Fox made a similar announcement.
"We had requested the apology, which has not come, and we had said that in that case we would withdraw our ambassador. Now we will do so," said Fox.
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