PARIS (Reuters) – France said on Thursday it had summoned a senior Venezuelan diplomat in Paris to protest against Caracas’ decision to limit the number of French diplomatic personnel in the Latin American country.
The foreign ministry said in a statement it would take “reciprocal measures” but did not give details.
Venezuela said on Tuesday 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.
“This summons follows the Venezuelan regime’s decision to reduce the diplomatic presence of the French embassy in Venezuela,” France’s foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said, referring to the summons on Wednesday of the charge d’affaires.
“France categorically rejects the allegations of interference made against it.”
The Dutch government on Wednesday said it had ordered Venezuela to cut its diplomatic staff in the Netherlands from four to two, in response to Venezuela’s decision.
Italy on Wednesday also summoned Venezuela’s chief diplomat in Rome to protest at the move as well as a lack of information on the fate of an Italian national arrested in the Latin American country two months ago.
“France will take, at national level, all the reciprocal measures it deems necessary,” Lemoine said. “France remains in close coordination with its European partners who are also targeted by this decision.”
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 Sudip Kar-Gupta and John Irish; Editing by Alex Richardson and Christina Fincher)
