President Hugo Chavez Frias has again criticized the visit by US Ambassador Charles Shapiro th the National Electoral College (CNE) headquarters in Caracas as "flagrant interference in the domestic policies" of Venezuela as a sovereign and independent State.

Speaking on his weekly radio/TV talk show 'Alo President,' Chavez Frias aimed sharp criticism directly at Shapiro saying "this is a sovereign country, Mr. Ambassador, you are obliged to respect this country."

While drawing short of an outright declaration of the interfering US diplomatic busy-body as "persona non grata," Chavez Frias' intention was clearly one of resentment that Shapiro continues his campaign to undermine Venezuela's domestic policies ... "what he has done is clearly an interference by the United States in the domestic concerns of Venezuela."   He says it is questionable that the CNE board should even have received the US Ambassador under such circumstances.

"It really reeks very badly, smells very bad indeed that the Ambassador of the United States was indeed received there ... why not the Spanish or the Colombian Ambassadors ... why not convene all the ambassadors of the world and make an assembly out of it?  What prerogative does Mr. Shapiro have to be received by the CNE, above all ahead of responsible national authorities ... and then to hold a press conference at CNE HQ ... this is a clear attitude of interference.  But the blame does not just rest on Mr. Shapiro, the blame is fair and square on the CNE itself for allowing such audacity!"

"If he wants to hold a press conference he has his own embassy and/or his residence at his disposal ... it's not as if there was no precedence, after all he put on a show to celebrate "Journalist's Day" which was an unparalleled extravagance ... he even gave a kiss to the comedian who pulled a stunt with a dolls supposed to resemble Venezuela's Head of State..."