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U.S. expels Venezuelan diplomat

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- The Bush administration has expelled a Venezuelan diplomat in retaliation for Venezuela's expulsion of a U.S. naval officer accused of spying in Caracas.

The U.S. State Department said political counselor Jeny Figueredo was being expelled in direct response to Venezuela's expulsion Thursday of Navy Cmdr. John Correa, the naval attaché at the U.S. embassy in Caracas, the Miami Herald reported. Figueredo works as chief of staff to the Venezuelan ambassador to Washington, Bernardo Alvarez.

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"Look, we don't like to get into ... tit-for-tat games like this with the Venezuelan government," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, "but they initiated this, and we were forced to respond."

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Correa would be forced to leave the country immediately. The announcement followed last week's allegations that a group of Venezuelan military officers passed information to a navy attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas.

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