As Venezuela Oppn leader becomes interim president, Prez Maduro asks US diplomats to leave

Caracas, Jan 24: Diplomatic relations between the US and Venezuela hit a low after the South American nation's Opposition leader Juan Guaido on Wednesday, January 23, announced himself as the interim president, securing the backing of Washington and many other Latin American countries. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro hit back severing relations with the US, according to agencies.

Maduro, a socialist leader who succeeded the country's iconic leader Hugo Chavez after his death in 2013, told his supporters outside his official residence in the capital that he would give American diplomatic personnel 72 hours to exit Venezuela, a country which is in the middle of a massive economic crisis.

US President Donald Trump extended formal recognition to Guaido shortly after his announcement and backed his plan to hold elections. Canada and other right-leaning Latin American states like Brazil and Colombia also gave him support.