Venezuela, Paraguay break relations over Pena’s support for opposition

Audio By Carbonatix

CARACAS/ASUNCION (Reuters) -Venezuela broke off diplomatic relations with Paraguay on Monday, with Paraguay expelling Venezuela’s diplomats in the country in return, a day after Paraguayan President Santiago Pena expressed support for Venezuela’s opposition.

Pena on Sunday spoke with Venezuela’s opposition leaders and called Edmundo Gonzalez, who is in exile, the winner of Venezuela’s presidential elections last year.

The opposition has published detailed vote tallies showing Gonzalez’s win, but President Nicolas Maduro was declared winner by the electoral authority and the nation’s top court without presenting such evidence.

Maduro is set to be inaugurated for his third term on Friday.

Pena said on X that he “expressed our commitment to continue working together with the international community, not only to recognize (Gonzalez’s) victory, but to contribute to the prompt restoration of democracy in Venezuela.”

In turn, Venezuela’s government said in a statement that it “rejected” Pena’s comments and that it would break diplomatic relations with Paraguay.

Paraguay’s presidency doubled down after the break, again stating it recognized Gonzalez as the winner of Venezuela’s elections and ordered Venezuela’s diplomats in the country to leave within 48 hours.

(Reporting by Mayela Armas in Caracas and Daniela Desantis in Asuncion; Editing by Brendan O’Boyle)