The Brazilian MFA has notified Venezuelan diplomats to leave the country, TASS reported referring to Folha de S. Paulo.

The MFA note says that if diplomats do not leave Brazil on their own, they will be recalled. Venezuela has embassy in Brasilia and consulates in Manaus, Rio de Janeiro, Belen, Sao Paulo, Recife, and Boa Vista.

On January 23, the leader of Venezuela’s opposition Juan Guaido, whose appointment as the parliamentary speaker had been annulled by the Supreme Court two days before that, declared himself as acting president.

On the same day, the US recognized him as acting head of state. So did the Lima Group countries except for Mexico, the Organization of American States, and several other countries. On January 28, Washington imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s oil company PDVSA and put some of Venezuela’s assets in US banks under Guaido’s control.

Some European countries recognized Guaido as interim president after Maduro had refused to call an early election within eight days. Russia, Belarus, Bolivia, Iran, China, Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Syria, and Turkey came out in Maduro’s support.