Spain assumed the international interests of the Dominican Republic in Venezuela

• Venezuela’s diplomatic rupture with seven countries has triggered uncertainty among foreigners in the country

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares announced on August 13 that his country has taken over the Dominican Republic’s international interests in Venezuela following Nicolás Maduro’s decision to expel Dominican diplomats from the country.

“Spain will always be available to all countries and all sister nations of Latin America,” the minister said during an appearance in the Senate.

The Spanish Foreign Minister also explained that he has been in contact with both Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil and opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia.

Albares spoke with González Urrutia, who claims to have won the July 28 elections based on the voting records published by the opposition, in an attempt to promote a dialogue that would allow an end to the crisis unleashed since the presidential elections.

Albares has also had contact with the foreign ministers of Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Chile and Panama, as well as the Dominican Republic, to assess the situation in Venezuela.

Photo: EFE/ Zipi Aragon

In his appearance before the Senate, Albares insisted that, from the first day after the presidential elections in Venezuela, Pedro Sánchez’s government has demanded the publication of the electoral records and transparency.

Diplomatic crisis in Venezuela

The Maduro government unleashed a diplomatic crisis with seven countriesincluding the Dominican Republic, following their questioning of the transparency and fairness of the July 28 elections in which, according to the National Electoral Council (CNE), which has not published the voting records table by table, Nicolás Maduro was re-elected for a third term.

However, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) considers the official electoral result “fraudulent” and independently published the electoral minutes on the website Venezuelan presidential results 2024in which González Urrutia was declared the winner.

After several leaders expressed concern about the electoral process, Maduro’s government demanded that Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay immediately withdraw their representatives from Venezuelan territory and announced the withdrawal of its representatives from those nations.

Photo: EFE

With this decision, foreigners from those countries in Venezuela were left without diplomatic representation in the country.

Brazil guards the embassies of Argentina and Peru

Brazil is responsible for the custody of the diplomatic headquarters of Peru and Argentina in Venezuela, as well as the representation of its interests and citizens in the country, following the expulsion of members of both delegations.

In a statement, Nicolás Maduro’s government announced an agreement with Brazil for the custody of the premises of the diplomatic missions of those countries, including their assets and archives, as well as the representation of their interests and their nationals in Venezuelan territory to be assumed by the Brazilian embassy in Caracas.

Brazil has also taken custody of the six opposition refugees since last March at the official residence of the Argentine embassy in Caracas.

With information from EFE

Related news