THE HAGUE - The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Caspar Veldkamp, is seeking clarification on Venezuela's decision to reduce the number of Dutch diplomats in the country to just three. This decision, announced recently, prompted Veldkamp to summon Venezuela's chargé d'affaires to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In response, Veldkamp emphasized that a counterreaction will follow, adding that he is consulting with European Union partners to determine what that response will look like.
Venezuela's move is in retaliation for what it calls the "hostile" response from the Netherlands regarding the reelection of President Nicolás Maduro. Alongside the Netherlands, France and Italy are also limited to having only three diplomats in the country. Moreover, the freedom of movement of the remaining diplomats has been restricted.
This diplomatic tension comes on the heels of the European Union's decision last week to extend and expand sanctions against Venezuela. Additionally, Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia spent more than a month at the Dutch residence in Caracas last summer.