PANAMA CITY (AFP) - The Venezuelan government declared Panama's ambassador and three other diplomats "persona non grata" on Thursday, saying they must leave the country within 48 hours, a Panamanian official said.

Just a day after Caracas broke ties with Panama City, Panama's Deputy Foreign Minister Mayra Arosemena said "we received a note from the foreign ministry of Venezuela that was delivered to our embassy in which it declared four people working in our embassy as 'persona non grata.' "