Venezuelan Foreign Minister Detained by US Authorities

[Jcrowley]

Chavez: U.S. Detained Foreign Minister
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Sep 23, 7:47 PM (ET)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - President Hugo Chavez said his foreign minister was detained by U.S. authorities at a New York airport Saturday for more than hour as he tried to return to the South American country.

Chavez told Venezuela's state TV broadcaster that U.S. officials alleged that Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro had links to a failed coup that Chavez led in Venezuela in 1992. "They have held him accusing him of participating in terrorist acts here," Chavez said in Venezuela. "He didn't even participate in that patriotic rebellion."

Both Venezuelan politicians were in New York this week attending the yearly U.N. General Assembly, where Chavez attracted attention with a speech calling President Bush "the devil." He later criticized the U.S. leader during a stop in Harlem before returning home.

There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials and it wasn't known if Maduro has since left for Venezuela. Maduro told CNN Espanol shortly after being released that he was confined to a small room and told to remove his clothes.

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