Venezuela restricts French, Italian and Dutch diplomats over 'hostile' stance on Maduro's inauguration

Venezuela has cut to three the number of accredited diplomats at the French, Italian and Dutch embassies over their governments’ “hostile” response to the inauguration of President Nicolas Maduro for a third term.

The Venezuelan foreign ministry said that the diplomats would need “written authorisation… to travel more than 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Plaza Bolivar” in central Caracas.

The United States had imposed new sanctions on Venezuela and increased to $25 million the reward it is offering for the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro on the day of his inauguration to a third term following a disputed election last year.

While, many other countries took a tough stance, saying that Maduro was not Venezuela’s legitimate president.

UE Foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said “Maduro lacks all democratic legitimacy,” as Brussels announced sanctions on a further 15 officials from Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, judiciary and security forces.

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UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Maduro’s “claim to power is fraudulent,” as London also announced further sanctions on individuals associated with the Caracas government.

“The outcome of July’s elections was neither free nor fair and his regime does not represent the will of the Venezuelan people,” Lammy said.

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Maduro on his swearing-in, according to the lower house of parliament.

Lower house speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, who attended Maduro’s inauguration in Caracas on behalf of Putin, “conveyed congratulations from Russia’s head of state”, it said in a statement.

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Venezuela condemned a series of sanctions imposed by the US, Britain and the European Union imposed, and termed the move a “desperate action, outside the rule of international law.”

The US indicted Maduro and others on narcotics and corruption charges, among others, in 2020. Maduro has rejected the accusations. In Hernandez’s statement, he said the Venezuelan government has carried out a “head-on attack against the scourge of drug trafficking.”

Maduro, president since 2013, was declared the winner of July’s election by both Venezuela’s electoral authority and top court, though detailed tallies confirming his victory have never been published.

Venezuela’s opposition says ballot box-level tallies show a landslide win for its former candidate Edmundo Gonzalez.

Maduro’s nearly 12 years in office have been marked by deep economic and social crisis and a exodus of millions of Venezuelans fleeing the country. His government has always rejected all sanctions, saying they are illegitimate measures that amount to an “economic war” designed to cripple Venezuela.

With inputs from agencies.