MADRID, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Madrid government on Friday decided to expel the Venezuelan Ambassador to Spain in response to the decision taken 24 hours earlier by the Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro to expel the Spanish Ambassador in Caracas.
Spanish government spokesman, Inigo Mendez de Vigo, explained in a press conference following Friday's cabinet meeting that Mario Isea had been declared a persona non-grata "in strict reciprocity," to the Venezuelan decision.
The move fulfilled the threat made by Spanish Foreign Minister, Alfonso Dastis, on Thursday when he warned his country would respond "in a proportional manner" to the decision taken by the government of Venezuela to declare Spain's Ambassador in Caracas, Jesus Silva Fernandez, as a persona non-grata and give him 72 hours to leave the country.
Speaking from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Dastis advised Spain's response to that decision would be "proportional" and "reciprocal to Venezuela," and that has proved to be the case.
Dastis also said that relations between the two countries have been tense since 2014, after Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy received Lilian Tintori, wife of jailed Venezuelan right-wing activist Leopoldo Lopez.
The European Union has backed Spain in this diplomatic spat, with EU Foreign Affairs spokesperson Catherine Ray saying the EU expressed, "full solidarity with Spain and we call for this decision (to expel Silva from Caracas) to be reversed, given that it goes against the need to keep diplomatic channels open."
Meanwhile Mendez de Vigo said the Spanish government "lamented the Venezuelan decision," and that Spain wished to maintain "relations of respect, friendship and cooperation," with the South American nation.
