(Reuters) –United States Department of State spokesperson Jen Psaki addressed the expulsion of three Venezuelan diplomats from Washington, DC, on Tuesday (February 25). The U.S. government decision was in reprisal for President Nicolas Maduro’s expulsion of three American embassy staff accused of fomenting unrest that has killed at least 13 people.
“They have been allowed 48 hours to leave the United States,” said Psaki.
“We have indicated, and have indicated for months, our openness to develop a more constructive relationship with Venezuela, but again, recent actions including expelling three of our diplomats continue to make that difficult,” she added.
Disputes between the ideologically opposed governments were common during the 1999-2013 rule of late socialist leader Hugo Chavez and have continued under his successor Maduro. When it comes to oil, though, pragmatism trumps politics and the United States remains the OPEC member’s main export market.
The U.S. State Department said in a statement that two first secretaries and a second secretary at the Venezuelan embassy in Washington had been declared personae non gratae in response to Caracas’ February 17 move against the three Americans.
Venezuela and the United States have been without ambassadors since 2008, and Maduro expelled the three last week on accusations of recruiting students to protest against him.
Washington has rejected the claims as baseless.
Despite the latest bilateral spat, however, Maduro plans to nominate a new ambassador to Washington on Tuesday to try to kick-start relations and combat what he sees as propaganda against him.
The crisis, in which more than 500 people have been arrested and about 150 injured over two weeks, has brought remonstrations from the U.S. government and attracted wider attention.
Celebrities such as Madonna and Cher have condemned Maduro.
The 51-year-old former union activist, who narrowly won a presidential election to replace Chavez last year, says international media are in league with “imperialists” abroad to project an image of chaos and repression in Venezuela.
