In response to the new European Union sanctions against 19 officials, Venezuela ordered, Wednesday February 24, the expulsion of the European Union ambassador to Caracas, giving her 72 hours to leave the country. 

"Today, by decision of President Nicolas Maduro, we have personally delivered to Mrs. Isabel Brilhante (...) a declaration of persona non grata", Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told the press after a meeting with the diplomat.

"He was given 72 hours to leave Venezuelan territory," he added. 

Por instrucciones del Presidente @NicolasMaduro declared himself a la embajadora de la Unión Europea en nuestro país, Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa, como "persona no grata", tiene 72 horas para abandonar #Venezuela, informa el canciller @jaarreaza # UniónRevolucionaria pic.twitter.com / EVzpGTP9Rk

- Cancillería Venezuela 🇻🇪 (@CancilleriaVE) February 24, 2021

New sanctions

On Monday, the EU sanctioned 19 senior officials of Nicolas Maduro's regime for their role in acts and decisions which it said undermine democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela.

The decision, validated by the Foreign Ministers of the Twenty-Seven, brings to 55 the total number of Venezuelan government officials and senior officials sanctioned by the EU (travel ban and freezing of assets in the territory of the Union) .

The EU notably sanctioned Omar Jose Prieto, governor of the state of Zulia, the commander of the armed forces Remigio Ceballos Ichaso, three officials of the Electoral Council, including its president Indira Maira Alfonzo Izaguirre, as well as two deputies.

It announced in January that it was ready to adopt additional targeted restrictive measures, given the deterioration of the situation in Venezuela following the legislative elections in December 2020.

At the end of this ballot, boycotted by the main opposition parties and whose results were not recognized by the United States, the European Union and several Latin American countries, the party of President Maduro and its allies won 256 of the 277 seats in the National Assembly.

Jorge Arreaza denounced "illegal" sanctions.

"Let us hope that the European Union reflects, hope that we can rebuild bridges of understanding, of dialogue, hope that they learn to (us) respect", he added. 

On July 29, after a previous battery of European sanctions, Nicolas Maduro had already declared persona non grata Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa, of Portuguese nationality, and had given her 72 hours to leave the country.

However, when the deadline expired, the government backed down, while asking the EU for "gestures" in return.

With AFP

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