On July 2, 2020, Venezuela's government made a surprise move by deciding not to expel the European Union's ambassador, Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa, after giving her 72 hours to leave the country.
According to Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, the decision was made 'not to hinder the dialogue with the European Union.' Arreaza told satellite channel Telesur, 'And we hope therefore, that there will also be gestures from Europe to have a much more objective position on the events in our country.'
The move comes after President Nicolas Maduro gave Pedrosa 72 hours to leave the country in response to European sanctions against 11 Venezuelans, including Maduro-backed opposition legislator Luis Parra.
Relations between Venezuela and the EU have been tense since 2017, when Venezuela became the first Latin American country to be hit by EU sanctions, including an arms embargo.
The EU had condemned the expulsion, saying it would not go unanswered and would summon Venezuela's envoy to the bloc. Opposition leader Juan Guaido, the National Assembly president, called the expulsion 'an outburst of arrogance, a new outburst that seems like madness on the dictator's part.'
