Photo by Gary Raynaldo / NYPD officer stands in  front of closed Consulate General of Venezuela at 7 E. 51st  Street Monday morning  Jan. 28, 2019.

By Gary Raynaldo   DIPLOMATIC TIMES

Two ladies walked up to  a serious looking NYPD officer standing  guard in front of the  Consulate General of Venezuela in Manhattan’s Upper East side approximately ten minutes after 9:00 a.m. on Monday  that was obviously closed. They said they had appointments for passport/visa services at the Consulate General. The officer told them he had no information on the status of the opening of the diplomatic facility. Normally, the Consulate General’s hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The two women walked away disappointed down the street into the frigid cold morning. The Consulate General in New York was closed last Friday, a day after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced his decision to shut the Venezuela Embassy and consulates in the United States.

Photo by Gary Raynaldo / Two NYPD officers stationed outside the closed Consulate General of Venezuela on 7 E. 51st Street Manhattan.

Diplomatic Times called the  office of the Consulate General of Venezuela but no one answered and was unable to leave messages because the voicemail said it was full.  It has been a chaotic week for Venezuela.  The Trump administration announced it recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the new interim President of Venezuela.   Guaidó declared himself the country’s interim president amid nationwide protests Wednesday, in a bid to seize power from Maduro. Meanwhile,  Maduro, who steadfastly insists he his Venezuela’s legitimate president,  said his government is breaking relations with the United States in retaliation.  Maduro then gave notice  to all U.S. diplomatic personnel to leave the country in 72 hours, but has since backed of the demand.

Photo by Gary Raynaldo /  Poster of former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez in window of New York Consulate General.