U.S. Orders Relatives of Embassy Staff in Venezuela to Leave Country
By NICHOLAS CASEYJULY 27, 2017
The State Department on Thursday ordered family members of American government employees working at the United States Embassy in Caracas to leave the country
and gave the employees the option to join them before a controversial vote to begin rewriting Venezuela’s Constitution.
In a travel warning issued Thursday, the State Department also said
that Venezuelan security forces had arrested "individuals, including U.S. citizens, and detained them for long period with little or no evidence of a crime" or "access to proper medical care, clean water and food." Ana Vanessa Herrero contributed reporting.
President Nicolás Maduro has ordered the creation of a new body, known as a constituent assembly, which would rule
above all other government branches for a period of time in which it would also rewrite the Constitution.
Mr. Trump, go home!" Mr. Maduro shouted in English to a large crowd, calling him an "emperor." On Friday,
Mr. Maduro’s opponents plan to send people to the streets for a last-ditch effort to protest the vote.
President Trump has warned that if Mr. Maduro proceeds with the vote, he will impose "strong
and swift economic actions." Please verify you’re not a robot by clicking the box.
The warning comes as the United States and Venezuela approach a showdown over a vote scheduled for Sunday
that could lead to a restructuring of Venezuela’s government.
