US to withdraw remaining personnel from embassy in Venezuela

WASHINGTON - The United States will withdraw all remaining US personnel from its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, this week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Monday.

The announcement was made in a statement released by the State Department late Monday night.

"This decision reflects the deteriorating situation in Venezuela as well as the conclusion that the presence of US diplomatic staff at the embassy has become a constraint on US policy," said the top US diplomat in the statement.

The move followed the State Department's decision on Jan 24 to recall all dependents and reduce embassy staff in Caracas to a minimum.

The United States recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as the nation's "interim president" on Jan 23, days after Maduro was inaugurated for a second term as Venezuelan president.

In response to Washington's support for Guaido, Maduro announced that he was severing "diplomatic and political" ties with the United States.

The Trump administration recently has kept piling up pressure on Maduro.

Venezuela's government on Monday announced four measures to deal with a blackout that has plunged the country into darkness since late Thursday.