Blow to Maduro as 11 officials left govt since January

Eleven Venezuelan diplomats in the United States have defected from President Nicolas Maduro's government since opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president last month, a representative of Venezuela's opposition said on Thursday.

Gustavo Marcano, the senior aide to the Venezuelan opposition's envoy to Washington, told reporters that Maduro's diplomatic network in the United States had ceased to function and said the opposition was working to restore consular services in the United States.