Venezuela says it is withdrawing its personnel from its consulate in the U.S. city of Miami because the staff there have been threatened.

The moves comes shortly after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ordered the closure of the consulate in Miami in an escalating diplomatic dispute.

President Chavez said on Friday he was closing the consulate in response to a U.S. decision to expel a Venezuelan diplomat.

Venezuela's consul general in Miami, Livia Acosta Noguera, was ordered out of the United States recently amid reports she discussed possible cyber attacks on the U.S.

The allegations were made in a documentary aired by the Spanish-language media outlet, Univision.

President Chavez has described the expulsion as “unfair,” saying there is no proof that the diplomat was engaged in espionage.