US diplomats in Venezuela - What really happened?

Venezuela postponed a showdown with the United States by suspending a demand that US diplomats leave the country.

[...]

Maduro initially gave US diplomats three days to leave the country, but the Trump administration said it wouldn't obey, asserting that Maduro is no longer Venezuela's legitimate president. That set the stage for a showdown at the hilltop US Embassy compound Saturday night when the deadline was to expire.

But as the sun set on Venezuela's capital, the Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying Maduro's government was suspending the expulsion to provide a 30-day window for negotiating with US officials the setting up of a "US interests office" in Venezuela and a similar Venezuelan office in the US.

  

RT and the Guardian reported that Pompeo gave the order for diplomats to leave and suggested any American tourists or visitors consider doing the same, but that the embassy in Caracas would remain open. How that was to work with diplomats leaving was unclear. I didn't find a State Department order on its website when that was reported, but government agency websites are not what they used to be, and now, there is this, dated Jan. 23:

  [...] 

We welcome interim President Guaido’s directive to all diplomatic missions in Venezuela that Venezuela intends to maintain diplomatic relations with all countries. The United States maintains diplomatic relations with Venezuela and will conduct our relations with Venezuela through the government of interim President Guaido, who has invited our mission to remain in Venezuela. The United States does not recognize the Maduro regime as the government of Venezuela. Accordingly the United States does not consider former president Nicolas Maduro to have the legal authority to break diplomatic relations with the United States or to declare our diplomats persona non grata.

 [...]  

Pompeo's speech at the UN Security Council meeting.

Another instance of Trump administration chaos, or did RT and The Guardian just have bad info?  Hard to say in this administration. But it does fit that Maduro would claim to suspend the expulsion order if Washington wasn't going to honor it, in order to appear he hasn't lost authority.

At any rate, back to the Al Jazeera article:

The State Department did not confirm the Venezuelan government's account, reiterating only that its priority remains the safety of its personnel and that it has no plans to close the embassy.

Earlier on Saturday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the UN Security Council that he "fully" expects diplomats will continue to receive protections provided under the Vienna Convention.

"Do not test the United States on our resolve to protect our people," he warned.

[...]

During the [UN Security Council] debate, which was requested by the US, Pompeo urged all nations to end Venezuela's "nightmare" and support Guaido.

[...]

"Now, it is time for every other nation to pick a side. [...] Either you stand with the forces of freedom, or you're in league with Maduro and his mayhem."

Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said that the Trump administration is trying "to engineer a coup" against Maduro. He said Venezuela doesn't threaten international peace and security, and he accused "extremist opponents" of Maduro's government of choosing "maximum confrontation", including the artificial creation of a parallel government.

Nebenzia argued any UN involvement in the Venezuela crisis constituted a violation of the nation's sovereignty, and urged Pompeo to say whether the US will use military force.

Pompeo later told reporters who asked for a response, "I am not going to speculate or hypothesise on what the US will do next."

Who in Hell can?