Venezuela threatens to expel US diplomats

By expelling three US Embassy staff, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has dismantled the "vanguard group" causing unrest in Venezuela, and said that if anti-government actions against the Venezuelan government continue, he will expel all US diplomatic staff.

Speaking at a ceremony at the Military Police General Command, Maduro said the decision to expel US Charge d'Affaires Kelly Keiderling and two other officials at the US Embassy was complex and difficult, but it had to be made. According to President Maduro, the decision has yielded results "greater than expected."

President Maduro speaks at the headquarters of the Military Police General Command on October 2. (Source: AVN)

On September 30, Mr. Maduro ordered the expulsion of three US diplomats on charges of participating in activities to sabotage the economy and electricity system, causing instability in this South American country.

In response, Washington also declared Charge d'Affaires Calixto Ortega Ríos and two other Venezuelan diplomats in the United States persona non grata.

At the ceremony, Maduro criticized the arrogance of US Charge d’Affaires Keiderling, a “sixth or seventh-rank” employee of the US State Department, when she denied the reason for her expulsion. According to him, this attitude showed that the decision to expel her was well-founded.

The leftist leader also said he had just received information that some employees linked to US intelligence had been appointed as leaders or special envoys of some companies providing electricity services in Venezuela, with the aim of carrying out acts of sabotage and destabilizing the country.

Relations between the United States and Venezuela have deteriorated since late 2010, after the late President Hugo Chávez rejected Larry Palmer as the new U.S. ambassador to Caracas due to hostile statements. In response, the United States revoked the visa of the Venezuelan ambassador to Washington.

In late 2012, the two countries established a negotiation channel to normalize diplomatic relations. However, last July, Mr. Maduro decided to end this dialogue process after Ms. Samantha Power, then a candidate for the position of US Ambassador to the United Nations, announced that if appointed, she would fight against “repression” in Venezuela and Cuba./.

According to (Vietnam+) - DT