The Mexican Foreign Affairs Office has decided to recall the Mexican Ambassador to Venezuela if Caracas does not apologize formally on Monday, said the spokesman for the Mexican Presidency Rubén Aguilar Valenzuela.

Aguilar Valenzuela claimed that President Hugo Chávez' remarks on Sunday against President Vicente Fox are an "outrage for the dignity of the Mexican people and government, and Mexico demands a formal apology from the Venezuelan government on this Monday November 14. Otherwise, the Mexican government is to order the Venezuelan Ambassador (Vladimir Villegas) to leave and recall Mexican Ambassador in that country, thus downgrading bilateral relations to business missions."

The official added that they expect Venezuela to apologize "through its highest authorities," but he clarified that even though ambassadors are recalled they do not have plans to severe bilateral relations. He set a deadline that expires Monday at midnight (Mexican time) for Venezuela to apologize.

The Mexican official added that a dialogue between the two nations could lead Mexico to reconsider this decision.

Aguilar Valenzuela said he agreed with Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Alí Rodríguez Araque that "mutual respect, sincerity and debate free from adjectives should prevail" in Mexico-Venezuela relations.

On Sunday, the Mexican Foreign Affairs Office issued a communiqué threatening to recall its ambassador if President Chávez did not apologize on Monday for his remarks Sunday during his radio and TV show "¡Aló, Presidente!" (Hello, President!) against President Fox.