Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has announced on Friday, the closure of the Venezuelan embassy and consulates in the United States, adding that all the diplomatic personnel would return back Venezuela on January 26.
The recent announcement was followed by Maduro’s earlier announcement that it is breaking off diplomatic and political ties with the US while providing 72 hours for all American diplomats to leave the country.
According to Anadolu Agency news reports, Maduro’s decision to shut its embassy and consulates in the US was made in retaliation of the US President Donald Trump’s recognition of the Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, also National Assembly President, as the interim president of the South American region on Wednesday.
The US has rejected Maduro’s move to cut off ties with the US, stating that Maduro holds no legal authority to do so with Guaido as the US-recognized interim president.