France has indicated that it summoned a high-ranking Venezuelan diplomat in Paris on Thursday to express dissatisfaction with Caracas' move to limit the number of French diplomatic staff in Venezuela. The French foreign ministry stated that it would respond with "reciprocal measures," without specifying details.
The Venezuelan authorities announced on Tuesday that they would restrict the activities of French, Italian, and Dutch diplomats in Caracas, reducing their embassy staff to only three individuals, citing the "hostile" reactions of their governments to President Nicolas Maduro's third-term inauguration.
In response to the reduction of diplomatic presence, Christophe Lemoine, the spokesperson for France's foreign ministry, stated, "France firmly denies the accusations of interference leveled against it."
The Dutch government, in turn, informed Venezuela to decrease its diplomatic staff in the Netherlands from four to two in retaliation.
France plans to implement appropriate reciprocal actions independently and in coordination with European partners targeted by Venezuela's decision. Western nations, including France, Italy, and the Netherlands, have openly denounced Maduro's recent inauguration, whereas the United States has offered a different.