The United States has expelled two Venezuelan diplomats in response to Caracas’ expulsion of two US military attaches.

The United States has expelled two Venezuelan diplomats in response to Caracas’ expulsion of two US military attaches.

On Saturday, junior Venezuelan diplomats Orlando Jose Montanez Olivares and Victor Camacaro Mata were ordered to return home, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters Monday.

Montanez, an official at the embassy in Washington, and Camacaro, who served in Venezuela's New York consulate, left the United States on Sunday.
Shortly before Chavez died last week, Venezuela expelled two U.S. Air Force attaches in Caracas, accusing them of espionage.

The U.S. expulsions amount to standard diplomatic retaliation.
The two countries haven't had ambassadors posted in each other's capitals since 2010. Chavez rejected the US nominee at the time, accusing him of making disrespectful remarks about the Venezuelan government. Washington then revoked the visa of Venezuela's ambassador to the US.

Chavez died at a military hospital in Caracas on March 5 at the age of 58 after a two-year battle with cancer.

He founded the movement of Bolivarian Revolution to establish popular democracy and economic independence and bring about the equal distribution of wealth in Latin America. Chavez was one of the key players in the progressive movement that has swept across Latin America over the past few years.