Venezuelan president expels top US diplomat

Staff and agencies in Caracas
Updated

Nicolás Maduro said US diplomat Todd Robinson has 48 hours to leave for allegedly conspiring against the Venezuelan government

Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro speaks at the National Electoral Council headquarters in Caracas on 22 May.
Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro speaks at the National Electoral Council headquarters in Caracas on 22 May. Photograph: Federico Parra/AFP/Getty Images

Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro has said he will expel the top US diplomat to the country for allegedly conspiring against his government.

In a televised address on Tuesday, Maduro gave Todd Robinson and his deputy, Brian Naranjo, 48 hours to leave the country.

Tensions have mounted mount between the two countries following Maduro’s victory in disputed presidential elections on Sunday. The White House has branded the election a “sham”.

Robinson is a career diplomat who previously served as ambassador to Guatemala. Venezuela and the US haven’t exchanged ambassadors since 2010. There was no immediate reaction from Robinson or the US embassy in Caracas.