Venezuela Orders the US to Reduce Its Embassy Staff in Caracas

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said Monday that U.S. embassy officials have 15 days to reduce the number of staff in Caracas to 17.

The announcement came after the minister met with the U.S. embassy official in charge of trade, Lee McClenney.

Rodriguez added that her ministry granted the 15-day period in order to give the U.S. government time to report on the number and rank of their diplomatic staff at the embassy in Caracas.

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The minister added that Monday the joint resolution adopted by the Ministries of the Interior and Foreign Relations that states U.S. tourists will now have to apply for a visa for reasons of reciprocity.

Rodriguez explained that these measures and the diplomatic actions taken regarding the U.S. embassy are in line with international law and that it is in response to the high level of reciprocity that should exist between sovereign nations.

The U.S. Embassy in Caracas

There are 100 U.S. officials presently working for the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela, while there are only 17 Venezuelan representatives at the country's diplomatic mission in Washington.

The head of Venezuelan foreign affairs said that the meeting she held with McClenney was courteous and amicable. She added the meeting was to explain the new measures recently announced by President Nicolas Maduro that were in response to the reiterated acts of interventionism by the U.S. government, which include 103 statements against Venezuela in 2014 and 65 so far this year.

Also read: 92% of Venezuelans Oppose US Invasion

"We have called on relations of reciprocity and soverign equality and we are calling on coherence,” she added.

Maduro's Announcements

On Saturday, Maduro announced a series of diplomatic measures against the United States aimed at avoiding any interference or imperialist attacks against Venezuela.

Maduro asked Washington to revise, reduce, modify and limit the number of officials working at its embassy in Caracas.