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President Maduro’s announcement came after the EU announced sanctions on 11 officials
The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, ordered the ambassador of the European Union to leave the country in 72 hours.
The expulsion of Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa came hours after the EU imposed sanctions on 11 Venezuelan officials.
They were sanctioned for acting against the national assembly led by opposition leader Juan Guaidó.
Guaidó declared himself interim president last year, but failed to remove Maduro.
The opposition leader has the backing of the EU and the United States.
In his announcement on Monday on state television, speaking of the EU, Maduro said: “If they cannot respect Venezuela, then they should abandon it.”
He added: “You can borrow an airplane for her [Pedrosa] to leave. “Venezuela’s airspace is currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Earlier on Monday, the European Council said the 11 officials were added to the sanctions list “due to their role in acts and decisions that undermine democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela.”
There are now 36 Venezuelan officials who have been subjected to EU sanctions, he said.
Newly added to the list include Luis Parra, who in January stated that he, and not Mr. Guaidó, was the legitimate president of the assembly.
Guaidó declared himself interim president last year, arguing that Maduro’s reelection in 2018 was illegitimate. His position at the head of the opposition-led National Assembly was the basis of his claim to be the legitimate head of state of Venezuela.
It is recognized as such by more than 50 countries, including the US, the UK, and most in Latin America and the EU.
Speaking on Monday, Maduro said the EU “recognizes a puppet as president.”
Some four million people have fled Venezuela since 2015, according to the United Nations, amid a serious political and economic crisis that lasted for years. The oil-rich country suffers from high unemployment and a shortage of food and medicine, and hundreds of thousands of people are said to need humanitarian aid.
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