MONTEVIDEO (Sputnik) – Filinto Duran, Venezuela’s ambassador to Honduras, said that Honduran authorities had asked him to leave the country in the wake of their recognition of a diplomatic representative of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who had proclaimed himself the country’s interim president.

"I would like to inform you that last night, I was summoned by the Honduran Foreign Ministry, where they read to me a statement saying that [the authorities] did not recognize me as the ambassador any more and they notified me that I should leave the country together with my family in the course of five days", Duran said as quoted by the Heraldo newspaper.
The outlet added that Duran had informed the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry about the meeting. The ministry, in its turn, asked the ambassador to return to Venezuela in the course of the indicated period and noted that "Honduras, unfortunately, does not respect any international law or established protocols". READ MORE: Oil, Neocons, Monroe Doctrine: Author Explains Origins of Trump's Venezuela Plan On 23 January, Guaido, the speaker of the opposition-led legislature, proclaimed himself the country’s interim president. The opposition figure was supported by the United States and a number of other countries, while Russia, China, Mexico, Iran, Turkey and several other states backed constitutionally elected Maduro as Venezuela's only president.

Juan Guaido, President of Venezuela's National Assembly, reacts during a rally against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government and to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the end of the dictatorship of Marcos Perez Jimenez in Caracas, Venezuela January 23, 2019 ©
REUTERS / Carlos Garcia Rawlins Mexico, Uruguay Should Avoid Neutral Stance on Venezuela Crisis - Guaido
On Friday, US Vice President Mike Pence said at a rally of Venezuelan exiles in Miami that the time for dialogue with Caracas is over and the current situation requires action.
On Monday, the United States blocked all of PDVSA's assets in its jurisdiction and imposed a ban on making deals with the company. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that by blocking PDVSA's assets, the United States was taking care of this company in the interests of the people of Venezuela and also protecting its own market. READ MORE: UAE Company Says Purchased 3 Tonnes of Gold From Venezuelan Central Bank

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro ©
REUTERS / Miraflores Palace 'I Am a Soldier, Just Like You': Maduro Stresses Army's Readiness for Drills (VIDEO)
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said in an interview with Sputnik this week that the United States had thrown its weight behind opposition leader Juan Guaido in the hope of getting its hands on Venezuelan oil reserves, stressing that the Trump administration is plotting a coup in the Latin American country.
Mexico and Uruguay announced earlier in a joint statement about an urgent conference on Venezuelan crisis slated for 7 February in Montevideo. The event is expected to bring together senior officials from over 10 countries and international organizations.Source: sputniknews.com