BackVenezuela expels top US diplomats in sanctions retaliation
President Nicolas Maduro expels US Embassy's charge d'affaires Todd Robinson and consul general Brian Naranjo, and asks them to leave Venezuela in 48 hours
Premium
Caracas: Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro said he’s expelling the top two US diplomats in the country after America imposed sanctions in the wake of a disputed election, saying that the men had meddled in internal politics.
Charge d’Affaires Todd Robinson and Consul General Brian Naranjo were declared persona non grata and must leave Venezuela in 48 hours, Maduro said on Tuesday afternoon.
The expulsions, and the arrest of six military officers, came in the wake of Maduro’s re-election to another six-year term on Sunday. The next day, the US prohibited purchases of debts owed to the government, including to the crucial state-run oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA). The move was meant to draw the financial net tighter around a lifeline industry without punishing a hungry and downtrodden population.
“I condemn all sanctions hurting Venezuela," Maduro said in a televised address. “We’ll present proof to the country of the military, economic and political conspiracy from the embassy’s charge d’affaires. Enough of conspiracies. It seems impossible to have respectful relations with the US government."
South American standoff
Maduro’s order represents a continuation of long frigid relations between a petro-state failing after a two-decade experiment with socialism and one of its largest commercial partners. While Venezuela sells the US thousands of barrels of Venezuelan crude daily, it has long accused America of trying to undermine the authoritarian regime.
Robinson spoke at a news conference in Merida state after the announcement. “We strongly reject the accusations against myself and my counsel general," Robinson said in an audio published on the Union Radio website.
President Donald Trump’s order this week covers all transactions involving debts owed to the Venezuelan government or state-owned enterprises, including accounts receivable. It also prohibits the sale, transfer or pledging of collateral of any equity interest in which the Venezuelan government has a 50% or greater stake.
Among his claims, Maduro said Robinson and Naranjo had pressured opposition candidates not to run in this year’s presidential elections. The main opposition coalition boycotted the vote, and polling places Sunday were the emptiest in decades.
Not speaking
Venezuela and the US haven’t had ambassadors in one another’s country since 2010, when the late Hugo Chavez refused to receive a new US envoy. Relations have remained icy under Maduro, with the leader regularly blaming both the Obama and Trump administrations for his country’s crushing economic crisis.
In 2013, Maduro expelled the US Embassy’s charge d’affaires and two other top officials, accusing the diplomats of conspiring with the opposition to destabilize the country.
Separately, Maduro further asserted his determination to remain in control with the weekend arrests of six military officers. The arrests followed nine detentions in March, according to Rocio San Miguel, the chairwoman of Control Ciudadano, a military watchdog. Among the arrested was Ruperto Molina Ramirez, a colonel who commands the aviation special forces. Local media outlets said the charge was rebellion.
A Defense Ministry spokeswoman declined to comment.
“Maduro feels unstable," San Miguel said Tuesday. “His major threat is not the opposition nor the U.S. but from within the armed forces. There is no doubt the witch hunt at the armed forces is going to increase from now on, after elections."
The president has rewarded the military with lucrative sectors of the economy and placed some officers in high-level posts at state oil producer PDVSA, but he also has ferreted out opponents among the ranks. In March, 20 military officers were in prison, according to Gonzalo Himiob, head of criminal justice watchdog group Foro Penal.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
