Restrictive measures will hit US diplomats, tourists

Venezuela will shrink the size of the US embassy staff, limit the activities of US diplomats and require US citizens to apply for visas.

Speaking before a crowd that rallied to protest imperialism, President Nicolas Maduro said on Saturday that gringo meddling had forced him to adopt the series of restrictive measures, which include requiring US diplomats to seek approval from the Foreign Ministry for meetings they conduct here.

Maduro said he was imposing the new tourist visa requirement for national security reasons, saying that in recent days, authorities had detained several US citizens, including a pilot, who he alleged were involved in espionage.