US to pull remaining diplomats from Caracas
The United States will withdraw remaining staff from its embassy in Venezuela this week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said late on Monday, citing the "deteriorating situation" in the South American country.
The decision was made as Venezuela is struggling to restore electricity following four days of blackouts around the country and a deepening political crisis.
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 US 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, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced that Caracas was severing "diplomatic and political" relations with Washington.
Power outages
The move also came after another day of power outages that began on Thursday evening with the failure of the San Geronimo B power station that transmits electricity from the country's enormous Guri hydroelectric power plant. The Venezuelan government on Monday ordered schools and government offices to remain closed for a third day amid a prolonged blackout, Xinhua reported.
Work and school activity would be suspended through Tuesday, Venezuelan Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said on Monday. Schools and offices were closed on Friday and Monday.
"President Nicolas Maduro has decided to extend the suspension of work activities and the suspension of classes at all educational levels for another 24 hours," Rodriguez told state-run VTV by phone.
The government, which is locked in an ongoing power struggle with the US-backed opposition, said the national energy infrastructure is being sabotaged.
Maduro said on national television on Monday that progress had been made in restoring power in Venezuela. He said two people who were allegedly trying to sabotage power facilities were captured and were providing information to authorities, though he gave no details, The Associated Press reported.
Earlier in the day, the government announced four measures to ensure the supply of vital services, such as healthcare, water and food deliveries, despite the blackout.
There have been acts of kindness during the crisis: People whose food would rot in refrigerators without power donated it to a restaurant, which cooked it for distribution to charities and hospitals, AP reported.
(China Daily 03/13/2019 page12)
