U.S. to respond to Venezuela’s demand to cut U.S. Embassy staff

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The United States said yesterday it would respond through diplomatic channels to Venezuela’s demand for a cut in U.S. Embassy staff in Caracas, but added that Caracas had drastically underestimated its own diplomatic presence in the United States.

Venezuela on Monday ordered the U.S. Embassy in Caracas to come up with a plan within 15 days to reduce staff to 17 from 100 amid the worst diplomatic flare-up between the two ideological foes since socialist President Nicolas Maduro was elected in 2013.