WASHINGTON: The United States has expelled three Venezuelan diplomats in response to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s expulsion of three US consular officials on February 17, accusing them of supporting a plot to overthrow him.
In a statement, US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that the Venezuelan diplomats have been declared personae non gratae and given 48 hours to leave the US.
On February 17, the Venezuelan president said that the US has been aiding the opposition’s efforts to destabilize the country, which has been witnessing deadly clashes between government opponents and security forces and have left at least 15 persons dead and 150 others injured.
The students and others opposed to Maduro want him to quit over high rates of crime and inflation‚ lack of basic foodstuffs and what they call his high-handed suppression of their protests.
Washington and Caracas have been without ambassadors since 2010, when late President Hugo Chavez refused to accept a newly named US ambassador to the country.
Over the past year, eight US diplomats have been expelled from the Venezuelan capital.
