Three Venezuelan envoys expelled by US in retaliation
Tit-for-tat move in response to expulsion of US officials from Venezuela
Three Venezuelan diplomats were ordered out of the United States on Tuesday in response to their government’s decision to boot three US officials from Venezuela, including the highest-ranking US envoy in the country.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced the expulsion of US charge d’affaires Kelly Keiderling and two other diplomats on Monday, accusing them of conspiring with “the extreme right” to sabotage the South American country’s economy and power grid.
US officials vigorously denied the allegation and had hinted on Tuesday afternoon there might be a retaliatory expulsion of Venezuelan envoys.
Late on Tuesday, the State Department said it was expelling Venezuelan charge d’affaires Calixto Ortega Rios and Second Secretary Monica Alejandra Sanchez Morales at the Washington embassy and Consul Marisol Gutierrez de Almeida at the Houston consulate. It gave them 48 hours to leave the US, the same time frame set by Venezuela for the US envoys.
It is counterproductive to the interests of both our countries
“It is regrettable that the Venezuelan government has again decided to expel US diplomatic officials based on groundless allegations, which require reciprocal action. It is counterproductive to the interests of both our countries,” the State Department said.