VENEZUELA: Maduro gives US diplomats 72 hours to leave his country

The United States Department has ordered non-emergency government employees to leave Venezuela amid growing crises over President Nicolas Maduro’s future as the country’s leader.

Reports say the US Embassy in Caracas has also advised its citizens to “strongly consider” leaving the country.

Diplomatic ties between the US and Venezuela became more strained after US President Donald Trump publicly recognised Juan Guaido, the leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly who declared himself interim president.

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In response to Trump’s rubber stamp of Guaido, Maduro broke off diplomatic ties with the United States and gave US diplomats 72 hours to get out of his country.

He said that if US officials had any sense they would pull out their own diplomats from Caracas rather than defying his order to leave.

The fiery Venezuelan leader also accused Guaido of staging a coup and ordered his arrest.

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