[link|http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2006-08-28T225206Z_01_N28369566_RTRUKOC_0_US-VENEZUELA-USA.xml&archived=False|Reuters]

Venezuela sent a diplomatic protest note to the United States as part of a continuing spat over some diplomatic cargo, Venezuela's Foreign Ministry said on Monday, in a further sign of tension between Washington and Caracas.

Argument continues via strongly worded notes. Both sides have made some fairly strange statements about this incident.

The U.S. Embassy in Caracas last week said Venezuela had illegally impounded 20 packages that the United States said were protected by diplomatic immunity.

A U.S. Embassy official last week denied that military goods were part of the embassy delivery, but said some U.S.-made aircraft equipment that Venezuela had purchased was on the same plane that delivered the embassy cargo.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Jesse Chacon responded that 16 of the packages had not gone through customs and had not identified the military equipment they included. Chacon said the packages included aircraft ejector seats and chicken.

That really doesn't add up.

Jay