Caracas, January 23 (RHC)-- President Nicolas Maduro announced on Wednesday that Venezuela was breaking diplomatic and political relations with the United States, after accusing the Trump Administration of attempting to stage a coup in the South American country.
Speaking to supporters outside the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Maduro said he would give U.S. diplomatic personnel 72 hours to leave Venezuela.
Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the interim president of the country, after Guaido declared himself interim president of Venezuela and took his own oath of office, in a gross violation of the Venezuelan Constitution.
"They went too far. I have decided to break all diplomatic and political relations with the imperialist government of the United States. Out! They can all leave," Maduro said. "They aim to rule Venezuela from Washington.
"Venezuela is respected! Neither coup nor interventionism. Venezuela wants peace," said President Nicolas Maduro.
He stressed that the U.S. empire wants to regain control over Venezuela’s vast resources: oil, gas and gold.
“These do not belong to you, they belong to the sovereign people of Venezuela," said President Maduro.
Meanwhile, The President of the National Constituent Assembly of Venezuela, Diosdado Cabello, declared that the Venezuelan right-wing has no principles.
Addressing a mass rally in support of President Nicolas Maduro, Cabello said: “The Venezuelan right-wing, in its eagerness to ignore the will of the people, has no limits. They have no shame when they violate the Venezuelan Constitution that was approved by our people."
