Venezuela orders EU ambassador to leave after bloc scales up sanctions
CARACAS — Venezuela on Wednesday expelled the European Union’s ambassador to Caracas in response to new sanctions, giving the Portuguese envoy 72 hours to leave the country and raising the bloc’s renewed ire.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza announced the move against Ambassador Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa two days after EU foreign ministers agreed to sanction 19 Venezuelan officials for “undermining democracy”.
“Today, by decision of President Nicolas Maduro, we presented to Mrs Isabel Brilhante ... her declaration as persona non grata,” Arreaza told journalists. “She has been given 72 hours to leave Venezuelan territory.”
Arreaza said the decision came after the EU on Monday issued “55 decisions, what in the European Union or in the US they call sanctions”, against Venezuela.
In Brussels, the EU demanded Venezuela reverse its decision.
“The EU profoundly regrets this decision, which will only lead to further international isolation of Venezuela. We call for this decision to be reversed,” said bloc spokeswoman Nabila Massrali.
“Venezuela will only overcome its ongoing crisis through negotiation and dialogue, to which the EU is fully committed but which this decision undermines directly.”
Maduro issued a warning in a televised address.
“We would not have wanted to do this, we’re doing it against our will, because we want to have the best relations with all of Europe,” said Maduro. “But we cannot accept that anyone attacks Venezuela, sanctions Venezuela. Either you rectify it or there will be no relationship with you, of any type.”
Venezuela’s National Assembly on Tuesday called for the government to expel the ambassador following Monday’s decision by the EU.
Expanded list
The EU expanded the list of those being sanctioned after rejecting a December legislative election that saw Maduro’s ruling party win control of parliament after an opposition boycott. The election results were not recognized by the EU, the United States or a few Latin American countries.
Until the win, the National Assembly had enjoyed an opposition majority with Juan Guaido at the helm as speaker.
Among the newly sanctioned officials by the EU are two members of the National Assembly, the governor of Zulia state, the commander of the armed forces and three members of Venezuela’s electoral council, including its president.
Arreaza on Wednesday described the European measures as “illegal”, calling on European authorities to carry out “a process of reflective analysis so they may abandon these interfering, arrogant attitudes”.
“Hopefully there will be reflection in the EU, hopefully we will be able to rebuild the bridges of understanding, of dialogue, hopefully they will learn to respect,” he said after giving the ambassador her marching orders.
The bloc began imposing sanctions on Venezuela in 2017 and has also imposed an embargo on arms.