MONTEVIDEO/CARACAS, June 14 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Uruguay and Venezuela agreed to resume consular services in both capitals, nearly a year after diplomatic relations deteriorated following Caracas’ expulsion of Uruguayan diplomats alongside those of six other countries (Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, and the Dominican Republic) for failing to recognize Nicolás Maduro’s reelection as announced by the National Electoral Council (CNE) on July 28.
“The foreign ministries of Venezuela and Uruguay inform the public that, as a result of joint work between both parties, it has been decided to reactivate in the coming days the consular services of Uruguay in Caracas and Venezuela in Montevideo to serve the respective communities,” the governments of both countries said in a joint statement.
Then-Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou sided with opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia, who claimed that the latter had triumphed amid a lack of transparency by the Bolivarian regime.
The new Uruguayan administration under President Yamandú Orsi, while not recognizing Maduro’s reelection, prioritized resuming consular services to support the 50,000 Uruguayans in Venezuela.
In Montevideo, Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin emphasized that this move is separate from diplomatic recognition and focuses on aiding citizens.
Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yván Gil confirmed the reactivation of consular services.
The Uruguayan embassy in Caracas has been operating with limited local staff since November 2024 and restricted activity.
“The only thing we did, what we were asking for, seeking and announcing a few days ago, was that we had to activate the consular mechanism, which to be very precise, does not mean the recognition of the electoral result of the presidential elections in Venezuela, where we maintain the same position as always,” Lubetkin was quoted as saying.
The announcement came two days after Lubetkin told Montevideo’s media that “for not having a minimum of consultative relations with Venezuela everything is getting complicated with that country and we are looking for, trying to accelerate ways, not for the reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Venezuela, which today has not been considered, but some consular mechanism.” — NNN-MERCOPRESS
