Election posters in the streets of Caracas Venezuela
Maduro's government has ordered two United States diplomatic representatives to leave the country in response to Washington's latest round of sanctions imposed over recent election results.
Venezuela's mainstream opposition had boycotted the election, given that two of its most popular leaders were barred, authorities had banned several political parties, and the election board is run by Maduro loyalists.
As the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela worsens, and in the wake of what has been widely condemned as a sham presidential election on Sunday to keep Nicolas Maduro in power, questions are focused even more sharply on what could be done to improve living conditions for citizens there.
Maduro claimed USA charge d'affaires Todd Robinson was involved in "a military conspiracy", ordering him and senior diplomat, Brian Naranjo, to leave Venezuela within 48 hours. The Venezuelan government has missed the opportunity for an urgently needed political rectification.
"We are deeply concerned by the use of illegal sanctions, whose effect falls most heavily on the poorest and most marginal sectors of society, to coerce political and economic change in a sister democracy, " their communique said.
A State Department official told AFP that Washington had "not received notification from the Venezuelan government through diplomatic channels", but that if the expulsions are confirmed, "the United States may take appropriate reciprocal action".
In recent months, Washington has imposed a series of sanctions on companies and individuals with ties to the Maduro government.
In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China believed Venezuela could handle its own affairs and the choice of the people should be respected.
He specifically spoke about U.S. diplomat's involvement in the conspiracies against the country saying, "We will present evidence to the country of the conspiracy in the military field of the United States charge d'affaires and his embassy, of the conspiracy in the economic field and of the conspiracy in the political field".
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In 2007, Wael's YouTube account was also suspended after posting videos demonstrating police brutality in Egypt. In December, he wrote on Facebook that Twitter had suspended his account without providing an explanation.
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Robinson has been less than a year in Caracas and is the highest U.S. representative in Venezuela, given that both countries have not exchanged ambassadors for eight years as a result of the conflicts in diplomatic relations since the so-called Bolivarian Revolution began in the South American nation in 1999.
He has also made several forceful calls for the release of US citizen Joshua Holt, who has been jailed for more than two years without trial on weapons charges.
Venezuela's foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza, called the new sanctions illegal, saying they were "madness, barbaric and in absolute contradiction to worldwide law". He said the USA would act in kind, suggesting it would remove Venezuela's top diplomat in Washington as well.
The foreign ministry earlier lashed out at the sanctions, accusing the United States of a "political and financial lynching".
The European Union said it was also weighing new sanctions after the election was marred by "irregularities" and failed to meet global standards.
Caracas is facing increasing worldwide isolation, with the United States, the European Union and the 14 countries of the Lima Group, which includes Argentina, Brazil and Canada, refusing to recognize the election result.
Venezuela has suffered hyperinflation, chronic shortages of food and basic goods, and a collapse of public services as the country's oil revenues plummeted amid reduced petroleum output and, until recently, low crude prices.
According to the National Electoral Council, Maduro was re-elected as Venezuelan president for second term, having secured 68 percent of votes, with slightly over 46-percent voter turnout.
What reasons did Maduro give?
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