Venezuela gives EU delegation head 72 Hours to leave Caracas

Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa, the European Union's ambassador to Venezuela, was declared "persona non grata" and given 72 hours to leave the country, Sputnik News reported.

Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, who announced the change of status on Wednesday, personally handed Pedrosa notice to leave Venezuela on President Nicolas Maduro's orders.

The tit-for-tat move follows the Council of the European Union's decision Monday to add 19 Venezuelan officials to a sanctions list on the basis of their alleged crimes against democracy and human rights. The additions increased the total number of Venezuelan officials sanctioned by the EU to 55, with the restrictions including asset freezes and travel bans.

In a statement on the decision, Caracas indicated that it "categorically rejects" the EU's action, and accused Brussels of "arbitrarily imposing unilateral coercive measures" against "honorable citizens with false arguments in reaction to the frustration" of some members' over their failure to bring about regime change in the country.

FA/PR