Officials of the Venezuelan Embassy in Costa Rica left that country at the end of the 60-day expulsion order , decreed by the authorities of Costa Rica on February 15. After that term, their credentials, immunities and privileges expired. The Venezuelan government denounced that Costa Rica “has flagrantly violated articles 22 and 25 of the Vienna Convention” by allowing the Venezuelan Embassy to be violently occupied in San José. In response the Venezuelan MFA announced the withdrawal of the diplomatic credential to the Chargé d’affaires of Costa Rica in Venezuela, Danilo González Ramírez.
It also noted that “Venezuela holds the Costa Rican government responsible for the loss or violation of the assets, archives and documents of the Embassy, in accordance with Article 24 of the Vienna Convention” and that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela “reserves the rest reciprocal diplomatic measures that may be in place to compensate this unacceptable aggression against the personnel and premises of the Venezuelan Diplomatic Mission in Costa Rica. ”
The Costa Rican government was one of the first to recognize the Venezuelan opposition deputy Juan Guaidó as president in charge when he proclaimed himself on January 23.
Through a statement , the Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that “the diplomatic personnel of Nicolás Maduro’s government, who worked in the Venezuelan Embassy in Costa Rica, has left the national territory (…)” For all intents and purposes, they are no longer recognized as representatives of Venezuela,” they added.
The assault on the Embassy
The Venezuelan Embassy in San José was the scene of a conflict on February 20. That day a group of people, headed by the “ambassador” appointed by Guaidó, María Faría, tried to enter the building of the diplomatic headquarters by force.
Before the claim of the Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jorge Arreaza, Costa Rica’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Lorena Aguilar, said that this action damaged “the elementary rules of respect and trust in the framework of International Law.”
“We express our strongest rejection of the actions of María Faría,” Aguilar added at the time and remarked that the 60-day term given to the acting diplomats was still in effect.
This is the statement of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on the subject:
Venezuela reserves reciprocal actions before the illegal taking of its Embassy in Costa Rica
The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela informs the international community that officials accredited to the government of the Republic of Costa Rica left the country in their capacity as diplomatic officials, in accordance with the deadline established by the authorities of that country.However, the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela denounces the government of Costa Rica which has flagrantly violated articles 22 and 25 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, by allowing, by act or omission, the violent occupation of our Embassy in San Jose.
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela denounces this improper behavior of a government that promotes itself as a model of democracy and respect for the Diplomatic and Consular Conventions, when in reality it has created a disastrous precedent of disrespect and ignorance of International Law.
In this regard, Venezuela holds the Costa Rican government responsible for the loss or violation of the assets, archives and documents of the Embassy, in accordance with Article 24 of the Vienna Convention.
Also, the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela has decided to withdraw the diplomatic credentials of Mr. Danilo González Ramírez, who was the Chargé d’Affaires of the Republic of Costa Rica in Venezuela.
It should be noted that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reserves the other reciprocal diplomatic measures that may be necessary to compensate this unacceptable aggression against the personnel and premises of the Venezuelan Diplomatic Mission in Costa Rica.
Translated by JRE\EF
