Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil warned the Spanish ambassador in Caracas, Ramon Santosthat the Venezuelan government “will not allow” further interference in internal affairs and will adopt “the necessary measures to protect its sovereignty.”
The Spanish representative in Caracas visited the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry this morning, where the Chancellor warned him that his country would not tolerate “any interventionist action by the Spanish government in matters that are the exclusive responsibility of Venezuelans,” according to a statement shared by Gil on Telegram.
“The government of Venezuela will adopt the necessary measures, within the framework of international law and Bolivarian peace diplomacy, to protect its sovereignty,” the note from the Minister of Foreign Affairs states.
Ramón Santos was summoned by the Maduro government this Thursday after Defense Minister Margarita Robles declared that there was a “dictatorship” in Venezuela.
Robles called Venezuelans who left their country “victims of restrictions, violence, lack of democracy and lack of freedom,” and criticized the “persecution” and “limitation of fundamental rights” that he said opponents of the South American coalition are suffering in the nation.
Maduro’s executive, Gil explained on Thursday, also called for consultation its ambassador accredited to Spain, Gladys Gutierrezwhose arrival in Venezuela is scheduled for this Friday afternoon.
For its part, the Spanish executive has chosen to reduce the escalation of open tensions between Caracas and Madrid and has described it as “sovereign“the decision of the Chavista government to summon Santos and to call his representative to the Spanish capital for consultations.
The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albaresinsisted on the desire to seek “the best possible relations with the brother people of Venezuela” and to guarantee the interests of the community and national companies of the Latin American country.
The tension between the two countries comes after the Congress of Deputies, following a proposal by the PP and with the vote against the PSOE, agreed to urge the government to recognize the standard-bearer as president-elect of the July 28 elections in Venezuela. The majority opposition, Edmundo González Urrutia, has been in exile since Sunday in the European country, where he has requested asylum.
In response, Venezuela’s Chavismo-controlled parliament proposed Wednesday drafting a resolution, which it hopes to approve, to urge Maduro to sever “all diplomatic, consular, economic and commercial relations” with Spain.
González Urrutia was received on Thursday by the President of the Government, Pedro Sanchezwho assured that his country would continue to work in favor of democracy, dialogue and the fundamental rights of the Venezuelan people.
The opposition leader requested asylum because of the “persecutions” he says he suffered after the July 28 presidential election, whose official victory was attributed by the National Electoral Council (CNE) to Maduro.
However, the opposition insists that the winner was González Urrutia.
