Illustration. (AFP Photo / Juan Barreto)

Only 1 Venezuelan Consulate Office Left, What Happened with the other 3 in Canada?

Canada - According to AFP, on Monday June 10, 2019, The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry officially closed all consular offices in Canada, located in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, leaving Ottawa as the one and only Venezuela embassy in Canada to handle all diplomatic matters related to Venezuela.

The Canadian Foreign Minister, Chrystia Freeland, also said that, this regime has taken steps to limit the ability of foreign embassies to carry out their functions in Venezuela, especially those who support the restoration of democracy.

However, it is reported that, Canada has indeed suspended its representative operation in Caracas since early June this year, making the ministry thought that this action as the retaliation from Venezuela. That happened because several Canadian diplomats could not obtain Venezuelan visas and the country is considered to limit Canadian diplomatic operational movements, making a major loss in Canada.

Venezuelan Foreign Ministry stated that, Canada's decision was far from an administrative issue and it was also a political decision that reflects ongoing hostility towards Venezuela and it concerned all the Venezuelan people.

Canada is known as one of the countries besides the United States to support Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido and against Nicolas Maduro as the President in the middle of Latin American country's political deadlock.

Unfortunately, it is informed that, Venezuela is still having the economic crisis due to the political uncertainty of Maduro's leadership as several Venezuelan representatives in other countries also have some issues and setback.

Because of this situation, last January, Venezuelan people in the end, held a large-scale riot no longer after Maduro was inaugurated for the second time, opposing Maduro’s government.

Source: https://www.cnnindonesia.com/internasional/20190610102430-134-402014/venezuela-tutup-semua-kantor-konsulat-di-kanada