May 13 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuela asked the U.S. military to vacate offices on military bases it has occupied for more than 50 years, U.S. Ambassador Charles Shapiro said, according to El Nacional.

The U.S. will maintain its military liaison offices in other buildings, Shapiro said, according to the newspaper.

President Hugo Chavez said yesterday the U.S. military knew about a plot by Colombian paramilitary members to lead a coup and overthrow the government. Shapiro denied any U.S. involvement with a paramilitary plot.

Relations between Venezuela and the U.S. have been tense since Chavez, who led a failed coup as an army lieutenant colonel in 1992, took office in 1999. Chavez says the U.S. helped plan a failed coup attempt against him in 2002, a charge the U.S. denies.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Kennedy in Caracas Akennedy1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: May 13, 2004 09:40 EDT