Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday
ordered three U.S. diplomatic officials expelled from the country, accusing them
of conspiring against his government.
The announcement comes after the
U.S. State Department expressed concerns about the state of affairs in Venezuela.
Three anti-government protesters
died in clashes last week in Caracas, and authorities have issued an arrest
warrant for an opposition leader on charges including conspiracy and murder in
connection with the violence.
"We are deeply concerned by
rising tensions, by the violence surrounding this February 12 protest and by the
issuing of a warrant for the arrest of the opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez,"
State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said Saturday.
"We join the secretary general of
(the Organization of American States) in condemning the violence and calling on
authorities to investigate and bring to justice those responsible for the death
of peaceful protesters."
But the Venezuelan Foreign
Ministry fired back at the Obama administration.
"The U.S. government is lying
when the denounced the arrest of anti- peaceful protesters," the ministry said
in a statement. "The world must know that there is sufficient evidence that the
groups that have caused violence in recent days are headed by Mr. Leopoldo
López."
Lopez's party, Popular Will, has
accused the government of being responsible for violence during the
protests.
In a YouTube video posted from an
undisclosed location over the weekend, Lopez called for new anti-government
protests Tuesday and vowed to show his face in front of Venezuela's Justice
Ministry and hand over a list of demands from the Venezuelan people to
government officials.
"It has been said in recent days
that they want to see me held prisoner. I will be there to show my face. I have
nothing to be afraid of. I have not committed any crime. I have been a
Venezuelan committed to our country, to our people, to our constitution and to
our future," he said. "If there is some decision to illegally imprison me, well,
I will be there, to assume this persecution and this infamous decision by the
state."
He encouraged protesters to be
peaceful and to allow him to walk the final stretch to the ministry alone
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