CARACAS, Aug. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Venezuelan Vice President Jose Rangel described on Saturday as a wrong action the pardon granted by Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso to four anti-Castro Cuban exiles.

    Moscoso's decision weakens the combat against terrorism, Rangel told the press at a military base in Caracas, Venezuela's capital,during celebrations of the ratification of the victory of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in a recall referendum held on Aug. 15.

    Rangel charged that the US government "has a huge responsibility for what has happened" by giving asylum to the four activists and receiving them as heroes in Miami.

    Jimenez, Novo and Remon have flown to the US city of Miami, but Posada Carriles' whereabouts is not known.

    On Thursday, a few days before leaving office, Moscoso pardonedLuis Posada Carriles, Gaspar Jimenez, Guillermo Novo and Pedro Remon, who have been accused of involvement in assassination plotsagainst Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

    At the release, Cuba officially broke off diplomatic ties with Panama.

    On Friday, Venezuela, a close ally of Cuba, announced the withdrawal of its ambassador from Panama and said President Chavezwill not attend the inaugural ceremony of Panama's President-electMartin Torrijos.

    Posada Carriles have been wanted by both Cuba and Venezuela, from where he escaped in 1985 after being held for planning the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner that killed 73 people. Panama hadrefused a Venezuelan government request for his extradition. Enditem