A Venezuelan passport, a bracelet with the inscription that reads "Venezuela," and a small flag of Venezuela over a desk. Photo: File photo.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—The consular section of the Venezuelan Embassy in Panama has reactivated its services, in order to benefit the Venezuelan community residing in the Central American country.
“We experienced an emotional day, filled with joy and reunion with our Venezuelan community as part of the passport and extension distribution event,” the diplomatic mission reported on social media.
During the reopening, 203 passports and 16 extensions were issued in what the embassy described as a “new phase for our consular section, which reaffirms the spirit of service and care for our compatriots abroad.”
The reopening has taken place following an announcement made in June, when Venezuela said in an official statement that it agreed to reactivate consular services for its nationals given the “urgent need to address” their concerns and issues.
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New ambassador appointed
Venezuelan news outlets have also reported the appointment of Julio Chávez as Venezuela’s new ambassador to Panama. A member of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Chávez is a lawyer, who also previously served as mayor of the Torres Municipality (Carora) in Lara state.
During his tenure as mayor, he was noted for contributions in academic, musical, environmental, and road safety areas. He has since served as a deputy for the National Assembly and as a member of the PSUV national directory.
Although consular services have now been restored, full diplomatic relations between Panama and Venezuela remain officially suspended. Panama has explicitly stated that it is not considering a full normalization of diplomatic relations at this time. However, the appointment of the new ambassador indicates a possible diplomatic rapprochement.
The new Venezuelan ambassador was seen on some of the images distributed by the Venezuelan consular section reporting the reopening of its services in Panama.
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Tense relations
Panama suspended diplomatic relations with Venezuela on July 29, 2024, following calls from Washington to boycott the results of Venezuela’s presidential elections. Following the suspension, Venezuela withdrew its diplomatic staff and paused air travel between the two nations.
While the 2024 episode is the most recent, Panama and Venezuela have broken diplomatic ties before due to its submissive posture towards US imperial dictates:
• March 2014: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro cut ties after Panama’s government called for a meeting at the Organization of American States to address violent far-right protests in Venezuela, La Salida, led by Leopoldo López. President Maduro accused Panama of being a US colonial “lackey” that was conspiring against Venezuelan sovereignty.
• August 2017: Panama was also a founding member of the extinct Lima Group, formed by the US and Canadian entities to diplomatically destabilize the Bolivarian Revolution.
• March 2018: Panama imposed sanctions on President Maduro and other Venezuelan officials over alleged involvement in money laundering and terrorism financing. President Maduro retaliated with sanctions against Panamanian companies and officials, leading both countries to recall their ambassadors. The diplomatic tensions lasted for nearly a month.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/AU
