Hugo Chavez; the President of Venezuela has ordered the closure of the consulate of Venezuela in Miami,days after one of its diplomats was expelled from the United States among allegations of plots against the state.

The announcement was made by the President at the congress building in his annual State of the Union address in Caracas.

This move is expected to affect thousands of Venezuelans who live in Florida.

He spoke angrily about the reaction of some U.S. politicians to the news that an Iranian scientist had been murdered by an unknown hitman.

Tehran blamed Israeli and U.S. agents after the attack.

He announced that he had taken the advice of Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro to close the Miami consulate, but he would not expel any U.S. consuls.

Someone was recommending that I expel Alcuin. No. We are not going to respond like they do. I do not have any reason to expel any consul of the United States, Chavez said.

Chavez, who is recovering after recent cancer treatment, also used his speech to say he would be a gallant loser in this year’s presidential election, if he was beaten.