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Venezuela Leader Maduro Says Decided to Close Embassy and Consulates in US

Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro said that he has decided to close the country's embassy and all consulates in the United States. Meanwhile, Caracas is not going to take any actions against US diplomats in Venezuela, Venezuela's ambassador said.
Sputnik

"I decided to close the embassy and all the consulates of Venezuela in the United States," Maduro said in an address to the country's Supreme Court broadcast by VTV8 television.

Nicolas Maduro also said that he agrees with Mexico and Uruguay call for dialogue, Reuters reported.

Earlier, the Venezuelan Embassy in the United States stopped consular services due to the severance of diplomatic relations between the countries.

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Nicolas Maduro cut off diplomatic ties with the United States the day before, accusing Washington of attempting to stage a coup d'etat in Caracas. Wasington, in turn, urged him to step down, supporting opposition leader Juan Guaido.

Meanwhile, Venezuela's ambassador to Russia said that Caracas is not going to take any actions against US diplomats in Venezuela, who are going to lose their diplomatic immunity after the 72 hours given by Maduro to leave the country to avoid reciprocal reaction from Washington. Venezuelan Ambassador added that the US diplomats can stay if they want.

"The Americans are waiting even for a small excuse that could be created inside the embassy or around the US diplomats to provoke another action that is even tougher against our country. So we will not do anything. The [US] embassy, ​​if they want, by all means, stay there. But we do not have political and diplomatic relations," Carlos Rafael Faria Tortosa said in an interview with Rossiya 24 television.

Previously, the US government recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president. Some countries made the same move, namely: Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Peru.

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Maduro said that Washington had attempted to stage a coup d'etat in Venezuela and announced his decision to cut off diplomatic relations with the United States.

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