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Venezuela withdraws its top diplomat in United States

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Maximilien Arvelaiz, Venezuela's top diplomat in Washington, who has been proposed as ambassador, speaks during an interview with Reuters at a hotel in Caracas, Venezuela, December 7, 2015. REUTERS/Girish Gupta
Maximilien Arvelaiz, Venezuela’s top diplomat in Washington, who has been proposed as ambassador, speaks during an interview with Reuters at a hotel in Caracas, Venezuela, December 7, 2015. REUTERS/Girish Gupta

Venezuela’s top diplomat in Washington was called back to Caracas on Wednesday after U.S. President Barack Obama renewed a decree imposing sanctions on several top Venezuelan officials.

Maximilien Arvelaiz acted as Venezuela’s charge d’affaires in Washington and had been waiting for months to be allowed to act as ambassador to the United States.

The two countries have not shared ambassadorial ties since 2010. The United States imposed the sanctions and declared Venezuela a national security threat 12 months ago.

“Enough of the arrogance, prepotency and intrigue,” said President Nicolas Maduro on state television.

Maduro has accused the United States of plotting to overthrow his government.

Venezuela has had a tumultuous and often acrimonious relationship with the United States since Chavez became president in 1999.

“Sometimes I feel I’m in a plane and every five minutes I need to put my seatbelt on because of the turbulence,” Arvelaiz said in an interview in December.

The U.S. Embassy in Caracas did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

REUTERS

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2 responses to “Venezuela withdraws its top diplomat in United States”

  1. PatienceTew Avatar
    PatienceTew

    Yah … because of the desperate economic situation, they can no longer afford his bar tab!

  2. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Poor Janitor Maximilien Arvelaiz … having to fly back & forth so much. The name is impressive enough.
    The word ‘prepotency’ intrigued me … I couldn’t remember having run across it before .. ever.
    And then I couldn’t find it in a largish Oxford Dictionary or Thesaurus … I guess that’s why.
    Seem Americans and Kiddies are not the only ones to invent new words – Bus drivers do it too.
    Strange no-one asked for a meaning ….

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