The chief European Union diplomat in Venezuela left the country on Tuesday, a week after the government of Nicolás Maduro ordered her expulsion following the EU’s decision to impose sanctions on several Venezuelan officials accused of undermining democracy or violating human rights. Full Text -> USNews

A European Union statement  said member states had agreed that Venezuela’s ambassador would no longer be welcome as an envoy to the bloc. The decision to render Venezuela’s ambassador a “persona non grata” was a retaliatory move after Caracas expelled the EU’s own envoy. “This is a response to the decision by the Venezuelan government to declare the head of the EU delegation to Venezuela as persona non grata,” it said. Full Text-> DeutscheWelle (DW)

“The Maduro regime has removed one of the international champions standing up for democracy in Venezuela and human rights of the Venezuelan people,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said. “This action will only further isolate the Maduro regime and the world remains united in calling for a return to democracy in Venezuela,” he added. By Daphne Psaledakis, Mohammad Zargham and Idrees Ali. Full Text -> TheChronicleHerald

“By instructions of the President Nicolas Maduro, the ambassador of the European Union in our country, Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa, is declared as ‘persona no grata,’ she has 72 hours to leave Venezuela,” the foreign ministry said on Twitter. “Hopefully there will be reflection in the European Union, hopefully we will be able to rebuild the bridges of understanding, of dialogue, hopefully they will learn to respect,” Arreaza said, according to AFP.  Full Text -> Deutsche Welle (DW)