Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said the U.S. authorities detained him for an hour and 40 minutes at New York's JFK airport in an action he called a violation of international law.

    "We denounce the U.S. government for violating international law," Maduro told Venezuelan television from New York. He asked UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to condemn the detention.

    He also demanded investigations be opened and urged the U.S. government to respect international rights.

    Venezuela's Foreign Ministry said Maduro was no longer being detained but would not be returning to Caracas on Saturday night.

    Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Saturday called Maduro's seizure "a provocation from Mr. Devil," a name he used to call U.S. President George W. Bush at the U.N. General Assembly this week.

    Chavez told state television that the U.S. authorities detained Maduro for alleged links to a failed coup attempt in Venezuela on Feb. 4, 1992.

    The U.S. State Department spokeswoman Joanne Moore said: "We are looking into it. I don't have any details."

    The U.S. Homeland Security Department on Saturday denied claims by the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry that Maduro was briefly detained at the New York airport. Enditem

U.S. denies having detained Venezuela's FM at airport

    WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Saturday denied claims by Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro that he was briefly detained at a New York airport.

    Maduro said earlier he was detained for more than 90 minutes in a room at John F. Kennedy International Airport and his travel documents had been taken away.