WASHINGTON, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that all U.S. diplomats remaining in Venezuela departed the South American country on Thursday.
Calling the withdrawal "temporary departure," Pompeo said in a statement released by the State Department that U.S. diplomats will continue their work from other locations.
The U.S. diplomats' exit came after Pompeo announced on Monday night the decision of withdrawing all remaining U.S. personnel from its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, within this week.
On Tuesday, Venezuelan government ordered American diplomats to leave within 72 hours.
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.
