The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela announced this Monday the breaking of diplomatic relations with Paraguay and has stated that it will “immediately” withdraw its personnel in the Latin American country in retaliation for the recent statements of the Paraguayan president, Santiago Peña.
“It is regrettable that governments like that of Paraguay continue to subordinate their foreign policy to the interests of foreign powers, promoting agendas aimed at undermining democratic principles and the will of free peoples,” he said in a statement.
The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry has detailed that Peña has ignored International Law and the “principle of non-intervention.” “He relapses into a failed practice that is reminiscent of the political fantasies of the extinct Lima Group with its ridiculous adventure called Guaidó,” he said.
Likewise, Caracas has reiterated “its commitment to the defense of democracy, peace and the self-determination of the peoples”, which are “essential principles” of the United Nations Charter, while pointing out that “no buffoonery” of the “international fascism” will manage to “break the will of a people firm in the construction of their own destiny.”
PARAGUAY RECOGNIZES EDMUNDO GONZÁLEZ
In response, the Government of Paraguay has confirmed in a statement that it recognizes the opposition Edmundo González as elected president of Venezuela, so he has “the right to assume the leadership of his nation on January 10 in accordance with the sovereign will of the Venezuelan people. expressed on July 28”.
“It ratifies Paraguay’s firm and forceful support for the right of the Venezuelan people to live in democracy within a rule of law with absolute respect for their fundamental freedoms and guarantees,” the Government has stated.
Likewise, it has demanded the Venezuelan ambassador, Ricardo Capella, and the diplomatic personnel accredited in the country “to leave” Paraguayan territory within a maximum period of 48 hours. The statement was published shortly after Caracas’ announcement about the breaking of diplomatic relations.
This comes after the Paraguayan president spoke by video call with González the day before, whom he defined as “winner of the presidential elections in Venezuela”, as well as with the opposition leader María Corina Machado.
“I reaffirmed my support for democracy and the victory of González Urrutia as president, remembering that independent international analyzes of the electoral process and the vote count confirmed his broad victory in the presidential elections last July,” the president said in a message on the social network X after the video call.