Demonstrators take to the streets in Venezuela's Caracas

Large crowds of Venezuelan pro- and anti-government demonstrators took to the streets on Tuesday in Caracas, in another day of ongoing protests that have roiled the country for weeks.

Meanwhile, the United States expelled three Venezuelan diplomats on Tuesday in response to similar action against three US Consular officials in Caracas.

Venezuelan envoys First Secretary Ignacio Luis Cajal Avalos, First Secretary Victor Manuel Pisani Azpurua and Second Secretary Marcos Jose Garcia Figueredo, were given 48 hours to leave the US.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro expelled three US diplomats from Caracas on February 17, saying they were supporting opposition plots to overthrow him.

This month, Venezuelan opponents of Maduro have been staging countrywide protests that the government says have left at least 15 people dead and wounded about 150.

Though violent protests have died down, the situation in Venezuela remains tense.

Opposition protesters erected barricades to block traffic on major streets in Caracas and elsewhere on Monday but there were no major clashes.

The White House has said what is happening in Venezuela is an issue between Maduro and his people, not between Venezuela and the US.

In a news conference on Tuesday, State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki voiced US concerns about Venezuela's record on human rights and support for democracy, but said Washington remains open to a diplomatic relationship with Maduro.

But she said Venezuela "needs to show seriousness" for the US to move forward with that process.

"Recent actions, including expelling three of our diplomats, continue to make that difficult," Psaki said.

The two countries have not exchanged ambassadors since 2010, though they have maintained embassies.

Hours after Washington's announcement, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua announced Maximilien Sanchez Arvelaiz as the country's new ambassador to the US. He had recently been Venezuela's envoy to Brazil.


AP