BEIJING, Nov. 16 -- Venezuela and Mexico decided to withdraw ambassadors from each other's country amid a deepening dispute between Venezuela's leftist President Hugo Chavez and his conservative Mexican counterpart Vicente Fox.

    The move came as Venezuela angrily rejected Mexico's demand that it apologize for statements by Chavez, who has called Fox "a lapdog" of the United States.

    The row started after Fox criticized Chavez's stance at last week's Summit of the Americas in Argentina.

    Fox, a former Coca Cola executive, is a strong supporter of U.S.-backed plans for a Free Trade Area of the Americas, while Chavez is among the leading opponents to the proposed pan-American free trade zone.

    The Mexican Government promptly threatened to lower diplomatic relations to charge d'affaires level unless Venezuela apologized for the comments, but Caracas pre-empted the ultimatum Monday, saying it was pulling back its ambassador.

    Minutes later Fox made a similar announcement. "We had requested the apology which has not come, and we had said that in that case we would withdraw our ambassador. Now we will do so," Fox told CNN.

    "Relations between Mexico and Venezuela will come to a minimum thanks to his desire, not mine," the Mexican president said in an interview with CNN.     

    (Source: Shenzhen Daily/Agencies)