Santo Domingo.- The international community, including the Dominican Republic, has largely rejected the last two Venezuelan presidential elections. The Dominican Republic withdrew its ambassador from Venezuela in May 2018 and has not reinstated him, as it does not officially recognize Nicolás Maduro as president. Since then, both nations have maintained minimal diplomatic presence.
In response to concerns about the transparency of the recent electoral process, Nicolás Maduro has demanded the withdrawal of diplomatic personnel from seven Latin American countries, including the Dominican Republic. This move is part of the ongoing diplomatic tensions between Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, which has not acknowledged Maduro’s presidency.
At the time of the ambassador’s withdrawal, Eusebio Carlino was serving as the acting ambassador. This decision came in response to the controversial 2018 Venezuelan presidential elections, which faced international criticism over their legitimacy and transparency.
Under President Danilo Medina, the Dominican government decided to withdraw its ambassador following recommendations from the Lima Group—a coalition of Latin American countries and Canada that refused to recognize the election results which led to Maduro’s re-election.
Statement from Venezuela
The Venezuelan government has demanded that Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay withdraw their diplomatic representatives, citing “interventionist actions” related to the recent presidential elections where Maduro was declared the winner. Venezuela has also decided to withdraw its diplomats from these countries. Venezuelan officials condemned these nations’ actions as aligned with “international fascism” and a threat to Venezuela’s stability. In response, President Luis Abinader has expressed concern over the electoral process, calling for international verification of the vote counts but reported no requests for help from Dominican nationals in Venezuela.