Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has expelled three United States consular officials from the country due to suspected conspiracy with the right-wing opposition, on February 17.
It came after days of violent protests and riots by right-wing students that attacked government buildings and left at least three people dead. On February 18, a marched in Caracas support of the government and revolution, and to reject the right-wing violence. It came after in Caracas support of the government.
During a national broadcast on February 16, Maduro said the officials had organised meetings in private Venezuelan universities 鈥渨ith the story of offering visas鈥. The consular officials were given 48 hours to leave Venezuela.
On February 15, US Secretary of State John Kerry criticised the Venezuelan government for arrests made during on-going opposition protests and violence, saying the actions 鈥渉ave a chilling effect on citizen鈥檚 rights to express their grievances peacefully鈥.
Maduro also said the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, Alex Lee, had called Venezuela鈥檚 ambassador to the OAS, Roy Chaderton, with a list of 鈥渄emands鈥 of how the Venezuelan government should proceed.
The Venezuelan government responded by saying it was 鈥渙ne more maneuver of the Washington government to promote and legitimise the attempts to destabilise Venezuelan democracy that violent groups have unleashed in recent days鈥.
Maduro said: 鈥淚n case anyone is in doubt, in Venezuela a plan is underway to create a political crisis and justify a state coup."
He said for the US, human rights means 鈥渢he right of the right-wing to overthrow legitimate governments鈥.
In 2002, the US backed a military coup that briefly ousted Maduro's predecessor, Hugo Chavez, before a mass uprising of the poor and loyal soldiers restored the elected president.
Investigations by lawyer and journalist Eva Golinger revealed the United States has provided funding and advice to the opposition to Chavez and Maduro's governments, which have promotoed pro-poor and anti-capitalist measures.
Citing US government documents, Golinger tweeted on February 16: 鈥淸The] U.S. budget for 2014 includes US $5 million for opposition groups in Venezuela (plus what they give in private).鈥
Video: Academic and author of We Created Chavez George Ciccariello-Maher on Al Jazeera America, February 15 discussing the situation -聽.
On February 18, PdVSA workers led other workers and poor supporters of the Bolivarian revolution to demand "Yes to peace!" One participant, Jose Espinoza, told Correo Del Orinoco: "I came because I wanted to support the peace plan of the Bolivarian Revolution.
"We are tired of the opposition, by their personal ambitions -- because there is no other explanation for the madness of their violence."
The 73-year-old Espinoza said of the governments of Chavez and Maduro: "Since I can remember, there has not been a government in Venezuela that wants more the people, especially the poor."
PdVSA workers presented Maduro with a new collective contract, which will benifit more than 40,000 workers in the company.
Photos below are from .
