The response to the new round of sanctions from the European Union (EU) was quick. On Wednesday February 24, Venezuela decided to expel the EU’s ambassador to Caracas, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza announced.
“Today, by decision of President Nicolas Maduro, we personally delivered Mr.me Isabel Brilhante (…) a declaration of persona non grata “Mr Arreaza told reporters after a meeting with the diplomat. “He was given seventy-two hours to leave Venezuelan territory”, he added.
European sanctions
On Monday, the EU sanctioned 19 senior officials of Nicolas Maduro’s regime for their role in acts and decisions which, it said, undermine democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela. The decision, validated by the Foreign Ministers of the Twenty-Seven, brings to 55 the total number of Venezuelan government officials and senior officials sanctioned by the EU (travel ban and freezing of assets on Union territory) .
The EU notably sanctioned Omar José Prieto, governor of the state of Zulia, the commander of the armed forces, Remigio Ceballos Ichaso, three officials of the Electoral Council, including its president, Indira Maria Alfonzo Izaguirre, as well as two deputies.
The EU had announced in January that it was ready to adopt additional targeted restrictive measures, given the deterioration of the situation in Venezuela following the legislative elections in December 2020. Following the election, boycotted by the main parties opposition and whose results were not recognized by the United States, the European Union and several Latin American countries, President Maduro’s party and its allies won 256 of the 277 seats in the Assembly national.
A previous
Mr. Arreaza denounced sanctions “Illegal”. “Let us hope that the European Union reflects, hope that we can rebuild bridges of understanding, of dialogue, hope that they learn to [nous] respect “, he added.
On July 29, after a previous battery of European sanctions, Nicolas Maduro had already declared persona non grata Mme Brilhante Pedrosa, of Portuguese nationality, and had given him seventy-two hours to leave the country. However, when the deadline expired, the government backed down, while asking the EU ” gestures “ in exchange.
The European Union has already called on the government of Venezuela to “To reconsider this decision which will accentuate the isolation of Venezuela”said Nabila Massrali, spokesperson for the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell. “Venezuela will only overcome the current crisis through negotiation and dialogue. The EU is ready to facilitate this, but such a decision will not help ”, insisted Mme Massrali.
In 2017, Venezuela became the first Latin American country to be sanctioned by the EU.
