Venezuela expels U.S. officials

(Vatican Radio) Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has expelled the most senior United States diplomat in the country, as well as two other U.S. officials.

In a televised speech, Maduro accused U.S. Charge D'Affaires Kelly Keiderling and two other U.S. diplomats of participating in sabotage and of bribing Venezuelan companies to go slow. He referred to “Our Venezuela” and then, in English, said: "Yankees go home."

The three officials were given 48 hours to leave. The two countries have been without ambassadors in each other’s capitals since 2010.

Last week, Maduro cancelled a trip to the United Nations in New York, claiming his life could be in danger on U.S. soil.

In June, Venezuela's Foreign Minister Elias Jaua met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at a summit in Guatemala. Both pledged to significantly improve bi-lateral relations. Now things have yet again taken a turn for the worse.

It is not yet been confirmed whether Washington will undertake retaliatory diplomatic action.

Listen to the report by James Blears: