Venezuela and Spain sack each other's ambassadors
Sunday, January 28, 2018 @ 6:37 PM
THE European Union has 'firmly' condemned the sacking of Spanish ambassador in Venezuela Jesús Silva Fernández and pledged its 'full support' for Spain in the ongoing diplomatic crisis between the South American country and its former colonial ruler.
President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro has not only declared Silva (first picture, by Spain's ministry of public works) a persona non grata, but has given him just 72 hours to leave the country as a result of what the Caribbean nation's leader calls 'the continual aggression and recurrent acts of slander by the Spanish government' against him and his cabinet.
“We urge [Venezuelan authorities] to reverse their decision, since it goes against the need to maintain diplomatic channels open,” said European Commissioner for foreign affairs, Catherine Ray.
Spain's own foreign affairs minister Alfonso Dastis assured, once Maduro fired the ambassador, that his government would 'respond reciprocally and in proportion'.
This has led to a 'tit-for-tat' sacking of Venezuelan ambassador in Spain, Mario Isea (second picture), whom Mariano Rajoy's PP-led government has also named a persona non grata.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com