France Orders Venezuelan Diplomats to Leave in Diplomatic Spat
PARIS (Reuters) - France ordered the Venezuelan embassy to reduce its diplomatic staff in Paris on Wednesday, giving some diplomats five days to leave the country in a tit-for-tat move after Caracas ordered French and other European diplomats out.
"This decision is a reciprocal measure following the Venezuelan authorities' decision of Jan. 14 to reduce our diplomatic presence in Caracas on grounds that we categorically reject," the French foreign ministry said in a statement.
Last week Venezuela said it would impose restrictions on French, Italian and Dutch diplomats in Caracas and reduce their embassy personnel to just three, citing their governments' "hostile" response to President Nicolas Maduro's inauguration for a third term.
Two days later, France summoned a senior Venezuelan diplomat in Paris to protest against the decision and warned it would take reciprocal measures.
The Dutch government also ordered Venezuela to cut its diplomatic staff in the Netherlands from four to two in response to Venezuela's decision.
Italy last week also summoned Venezuela's chief diplomat in Rome to protest against the move as well as a lack of information on the fate of an Italian national arrested two months ago.
Several Western nations have not recognised Maduro's victory in Venezuela's July 2024 presidential election. France, Italy and the Netherlands loudly condemned Maduro's inauguration last week, while the United States has offered a $25 million reward for Maduro's arrest.
(Reporting by GV De Clercq; Editing by Dominique Vidalon, Makini Brice, Peter Graff)