US rejects Venezuela's 'cancer plot'

The United States considered "absurd" the recent accusations made by Venezuela’s Vice President Nicolás Maduro, who denounced that late president Hugo Chávez was infected with cancer by “imperialist enemies."

“The accusation that the US was involved in some way in Chávez’s illness is absurd and we reject it completely”, US State Department Patrick Ventrell said minutes before the Socialist leader´s death was confirmed.

“Despite the significant differences between our governments, we still believe that it is important to seek a functional and productive relationship with Venezuela based on mutual interests”, Ventrell insisted that Maduro’s allegations against Washington were “false” and “inappropriate,” showing that Caracas “has no interest in improving” bilateral ties.

In a similar way, Pentagon spokesman Todd Breasseale dismissed the accusations against the US diplomat David Delmonaco and his assistant Devlin Kostal, who were expelled from Venezuela for “conspiring with domestic opponents”.

“Venezuela must be respected, our Armed Forces must be respected”, Venezuela’s Vice President said after giving Delmonaco a 24-hour deadline to leave the South American country.