US orders non-emergency gov’t staff to leave Venezuela

The U.S. State Department on Thursday ordered all non-emergency U.S. government employees to leave Venezuela and issued a security alert for Americans in the capital Caracas amid growing tensions between the two countries.

"The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Venezuela," the statement said.

American citizens were advised to contact the U.S. Embassy in Caracas for consular assistance.

The statement also stressed that U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Venezuela should "strongly consider" leaving the country.

The move comes a day after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced that his country had cut off diplomatic relations with Washington and gave U.S. diplomats 72 hours to leave the country -- a demand Washington has shrugged off, saying diplomatic personnel will stay at the invitation of opposition leader Juan Guaido.

A growing number of countries have lined up behind Guaido, the head of the National Assembly, who declared himself president Wednesday under Articles 333 and 350 of the Venezuelan Constitution amid mass anti-government protests.

Guaido's declaration was quickly recognized by the U.S., Canada and several fellow Latin American nations.