Maduro Orders Withdrawal of Diplomats from Seven Latin American Countries 

After an intense and controversial election over the weekend, Venezuela ordered the withdrawal of its diplomatic personnel from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay. The move came after these countries refused to recognise President Nicolás Maduro’s victory in the July 28 elections, prompting a retaliatory demand for the expulsion of their representatives from Venezuela.

The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry condemned the refusal to acknowledge the election results as an attack on its sovereignty. In an official statement, it said, “The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has decided to recall all members of its diplomatic missions in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay due to a heinous precedent, which is an attack on our sovereignty, and also demands that these countries’ governments recall their diplomats from Venezuela.”

Chancellor Yvan Gil Pinto, who is a Venezuelan diplomat and politician serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, further emphasised the government’s position, highlighting international support for the election’s legitimacy while strongly denouncing what he called ‘violence and interventionism’ from the Venezuelan opposition and international actors.

Maduro’s third term triggered the reaction of international leaders across the Americas. Panama President Jose Raul Mulino announced, “We are putting diplomatic relations on hold until a complete review of the voting records.”

“Maduro’s regime must understand that the results are hard to believe…Chile we will not recognise any result that is not verifiable,” declared Chilean President Gabriel Boric. A stance echoed by the government of Argentina, “We do not recognise fraud, we call on the international community to unite to restore the rule of law in Venezuela,” stated President Javier Milei.

Venezuela has vowed to take all necessary legal and political measures to defend its right to self-determination and counteract what it views as attempts to destabilise its governance.