Venezuela: surge of tension with France over Juan Guaidó

Juan Guaido returned to Venezuela on Tuesday February 11, 2020 after a tour that took him to Europe and the United States. REUTERS / Manaure Quintero

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In Venezuela, the authorities accuse the French embassy of hiding Juan Guaidó. Le Quai d'Orsay The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jorge Arreaza, said on Thursday that the opponent was in the French representation. Three days earlier, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had already hinted that his rival had "hidden" in a diplomatic representation. The information, refuted by the opposition, should not help the already strained relations between France and Venezuela.

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with our correspondent at Caracas, Benjamin Delille

It's been rumored since the beginning of May. But now that Jorge Arreaza says that Juan Guaidó has taken refuge in the French residence in Caracas, it takes a completely different turn.

The Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs accuses the French and Spanish governments of hiding "fugitives". Indeed, the Spanish Embassy is already serving as a refuge for another opponent wanted by Venezuelan justice, Leopoldo Lopez . "It is a shame," he insisted, adding that the countries would "pay the price very soon".

In reality, the authorities did not wait to make Romain Nadal, the French ambassador to Venezuela, pay the price of their suspicions. Since May 3, his residence has been deprived of water and electricity and a filtering barrage of intelligence services blocks access to his street. A Venezuelan agent is said to have even tried to infiltrate the diplomatic mission. France then condemned the measures taken by the Venezuelan authorities by calling on them to respect the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.

Read also : France protests the treatment inflicted on its embassy in Venezuela 

Disclaimer of quai d'Orsay

France and Juan Guaidó's entourage denied the information, assuring that the opponent was hiding in France's residence in Caracas. “  Mr. Juan Guaido is not at the French residence in Caracas. We have repeatedly confirmed this to the Venezuelan authorities  , "French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Agnès von der Mühll said on Friday.

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  • France
  • Venezuela
  • Juan Guaido

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