Venezuela expels top diplomat in response to EU sanctions against 19 officials

Venezuela has expelled Isabel Brilhante, the European Union’s ambassador to Caracas, giving her 72 hours to leave the country, its foreign minister Jorge Arreaza told reporters on February 23. Declaring her persona non grata, he clarified that the decision was taken in retaliation to EU sanctions on 19 top Venezuelan officials.

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President Nicolas Maduro says he democratically won the 2019 Presidential vote, however, opposition parties, thousands of Venezuelans, the EU, the US and several other Latin America states deny it. In December last year, the country’s opposition-led by Juan Guaidó quit the parliament in protest. Taking the opportunity, Maduro gained ‘total control’ of the legislative body.

The ‘undemocratic’ move attracted the ire of the European bloc, which then, expanded its list of sanctions adding 19 Venezuelan officials for "undermining democracy" and human rights abuses. As of now, 55 members of Maduro's regime have been targeted by asset freezes and travel bans by the bloc.

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Read: Venezuela: Supreme Court Says National Assembly Failed To Name Rectors As Crisis Escalates

Presidential crisis

In January 2019, opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself the acting president of the country. Gaido is recognised as the legitimate president by thousands of Venezuelans as well as the US and other western powers. On the other hand, Nicholas Maduro, who was sworn in for the second term in 2019, continues to claim to be constitutional president of the South American nation. Despite attempts by Guaido to get the military to switch their allegiance to him, the armed forces have remained largely loyal to President Maduro, whose socialist party has also got a firm grip on the electoral body and the supreme court, international media reported.

Meanwhile, a scornful report by the United Nations (UN) has revealed that international pressure campaign on Venezuela undertaken by the US, UK and the EU has “devastated” the nation. The report was composed following a 12 day trip in the country by Alina Douhan, Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures who urged the western nations to lift the catastrophic sanctions. Sanctions were first imposed against Venezuela in 2005 and have been severely strengthened since 2015, with the most severe ones being imposed by the United States.