Venezuela demands ‘gringos’ have visas and pay in US dollars

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, right, and his wife Cilia Flores greet supporters during a rally outside of Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela. Image by (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Venezuela is to shrink US embassy staff numbers, limit the activities of diplomats and require American citizens to apply for visas to bask on the nation’s beaches.

Speaking before a crowd that rallied to protest against imperialism, President Nicolas Maduro said “gringo” meddling had forced him to adopt the measures, which include requiring US diplomats to seek approval from the Foreign Ministry for meetings they conduct in his country.

Relations between the two nations have been deteriorating rapidlyas Maduro blames US plotting for the host of economic and social woes plaguing the socialist-governed country.

He recently accused America of working with local opposition groups to stage a coup that involved bombing the presidential palace, a claim Washington said was ludicrous.

The two countries have not exchanged ambassadors since 2010, but have diplomatic staff working at their respective embassies.

Mr Maduro told the rally the US had far more staff in Venezuela than his government had in America and addressed President Barack Obama directly, saying he had “arrogantly” refused to engage in conciliatory talks.

“I’m very sorry, Mr President, that you have gone down this dead end,” he said during the speech all Venezuelan television and radio stations were required to carry.

Mr Maduro said he was imposing the new tourist visa requirement for national security reasons, saying that in recent days authorities had detained several US citizens who he claimed were involved in espionage, including a pilot.

Earlier, Venezuela released four missionaries from North Dakota detained several days ago for unknown reasons. They were banned from coming back for two years.

Venezuela will charge Americans the same tourist visa fees that the US charges Venezuelans and it will require payment in dollars, which are increasingly scarce in Venezuela.

A senior administration official in Washington said the US government had not received any communications from Venezuela and could not comment on the new restrictions.

Americans have been staying away from Venezuela as crime has soared, exchange rates have become difficult to navigate and Mr Maduro has stepped up attacks on the US government.

Just 36,000 US citizens visited in the first nine months of 2014, about half the number that visited two years earlier, according to Venezuela Tourism Ministry data. Overall, 950,000 foreigners visited Venezuela last year.

(Press Association)