Venezuela orders departure of US diplomatic personnel in 72 hours - MPPRE

Venezuela orders departure of US diplomatic personnel in 72 hours

The Foreign Minister of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Jorge Arreaza, clarified the decision of the National Executive to cease talks with the United States Government about a possible agreement for the mutual establishment of interest offices after the rupture of diplomatic relations that arose in last January. In that sense, he explained -through his account on Twitter @jaarreaza- that on Monday afternoon the US diplomatic representative in Caracas, James Story, was summoned to the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry to inform him of the sovereign decision not to extend the presence of US personnel in Venezuela. Foreign Minister Arreaza cited with emphasis the Official Statement by which the Bolivarian Government explains clearly “the risk to the national peace of the permanence of United States personnel in Venezuelan territory, information that was personally communicated to the diplomatic representative Yesterday”. However, he ratified the unalterable willingness of the Venezuelan Executive to maintain channels of communication and dialogue with the US administration, “as long as these are developed within the framework of a relationship of equality and mutual respect”. The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela emphasized that if there is a willingness to restart talks on the possible establishment of interest offices, these should be advanced through the respective representations to the United Nations.