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CARACAS, Venezuela — President Nicolas Maduro announced Monday the expulsion of the top U.S. diplomat in Venezuela and two other embassy officials, alleging they conspired with “the extreme right” to sabotage the economy and power grid.

The U.S. Embassy rejected as unfounded the Venezuelan government’s accusations of “a great psychological operation” against it.

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Maduro made the announcement during a live TV appearance and said Charge d’Affairs Kelly Keiderling and the two others had 48 hours to leave the country.

“Out of Venezuela,” the leftist leader shouted, then added in English: “Yankees go home!”

Maduro said a group of embassy officials that his government had been following for months was “dedicated to meeting with the Venezuelan extreme right, to financing it and feeding its actions to sabotage the electrical system and the Venezuela economy.”

“I have proof here in my hands,” he said, though he did not offer any details on the diplomats’ alleged transgressions.