Brazil expels Venezuelan envoy

BRASILIA. — Brazil has declared Gerardo Maldonado, Venezuela’s top diplomat in the country, persona non grata in a tit- for- tat move that comes just days after Caracas expelled the Brazilian ambassador.

Relati ons have worsened between the Latin American states since 2016 when Venezuela voiced criticism of the impeachment of leftist former President Dilma Rousseff, who was removed from offi ce over financial misconduct allegations.

A Brazilian foreign ministry offi - cial told the AFP that Maldonado would have to leave the country and that the decision was a “swift measure”.

On Saturday, Venezuela expelled Brazil’s chief diplomat Ruy Pereira, prompting an angry response from the Brazilians.

“Such decision would once again demonstrate the authoritarian nature of the Nicolas Maduro administration and its lack of willingness for any type of dialogue,” Brazil’s foreign ministry said in a statement before it had received confirmation.

“Brazil will take corresponding reciprocity measures,” it added.

The move by Brazil comes a day after Canada said it would expel a top Venezuelan diplomat and bar the South American country’s ambassador from returning to Ottawa. The announcement by Canadian Minister of Foreign Aff airs Chrystia Freeland on Monday came two days after Venezuela expelled Canada’s top diplomat in Caracas for allegedly interfering in its domestic aff airs.

Earlier this year, following in the US footsteps, Canada had unveiled sanctions against 52 foreigners it deemed corrupt and accused of human rights violations.

Among those sanctioned were Russian, South Sudanese and Venezuelan offi cials, including President Maduro.

In August, US President Donald Trump’s government imposed sweeping fi nancial sanctions on Venezuela, and labelled President Maduro “a dictator”.

The measures banned US financial institutions from providing new money to Venezuela’s government or the state oil company, while all of President Maduro’s assets subject to US jurisdiction were frozen, and Americans were barred from doing business with him.

The sanctions drew an angry rebuke from Caracas, with Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza calling them the “worst aggression” against the country in two centuries.

President Maduro himself, however, said that the measures did not intimidate him “for a moment”.