Credit: /twitter.com/MFAVenezuela /  Jorge Arreaza, (left) Foreign Minister of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela hands over Note of Protest to Chargé d’Affaires of the Republic of Costa Rica, Danilo Gonzalez Ramirez, “rejecting the interference in internal affairs of Venezuelans” Jan. 9, 2019. 

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC TIMES

Venezuela withdrew diplomatic accreditation this week from the head of the diplomatic mission of Costa Rica in Caracas, Chargé d’Affaires  Danilo González Ramirez, according to a statement by the Venezuelan government. Venezuela said the Costa Rican government violated articles of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, “by allowing the violent seizure of our embassy in San José”.  The action is apparently in retaliation for a move by Costa Rican on Monday, expelling  the staff of the Venezuelan embassy appointed by President Nicolas Maduro, whom the Costa Rican authorities do not recognize as head of state. The Costa Rican government reported that the 3-member embassy staff appointed by Maduro had left the country.  “The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has also decided to withdraw the diplomatic accreditation of Mr Danilo González Ramírez, who served as Chargé d’Affaires of the Republic of Costa Rica to Venezuela,”  according to the statement for the Maduro government.

“The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela denounces this improper behavior by a government that promotes itself as a model of democracy and respect for Diplomatic and Consular Conventions, but which actually has created a disastrous precedent of disrespect and ignorance of International Law. In this regard, Venezuela holds the Costa Rican government responsible for the loss or violation of the Embassy assets, files and documents, in accordance with Article 24 of the Vienna Convention.”

Credit:  EZEQUIEL BECERRA/AFP/Getty Images)     Maria Faria (L), the ambassador to Costa Rica designated by Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido, speaks to the media after a meeting with Costa Rica’s foreign minister Manuel Ventura Robles in San Jose, Costa Rica on February 21, 2019.

On Jan. 23, 2019, opposition parliament leader, Juan Guaidó  declared himself the interim president of Venezuela. On Feb. 15,  Costa Rica had given the Maduro-appointed diplomats 60 days to leave the embassy, which was then occupied by Maria Faría, designated ambassador by Guaidó and accredited in San José.  Faría’s  “forced entry”  into the embassy was criticized as a violation of International law and a blatant disregard for diplomatic protocol

 “The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reserves the other reciprocal diplomatic measures that may be necessary to compensate this unacceptable aggression against the personnel and premises of the Venezuelan Diplomatic Mission to Costa Rica,”  statement from Maduro government.

The spate between the Venezuelan Maduro government and Costa Rica apparently began weeks before Guaidó proclaimed himself president, with the country’s  Foreign Minister issuing a Note of Protest to Chargé d’Affaires of the Republic of Costa Rica, Danilo Gonzalez Ramirez, Jan. 9, 2019.

#PHOTOS | Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela hands over Note of Protest to Chargé d'Affaires of the Republic of Costa Rica, Danilo Gonzalez Ramirez, rejecting the interference in internal affairs of Venezuelans#YoJuroConMaduro pic.twitter.com/uL2GFGUsOm

— Foreign Affairs 🇻🇪 (@MFAVenezuela) January 9, 2019