Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro has ordered the EU’s ambassador to Caracas to leave the country in response to the bloc’s decision to sanction 11 officials close to his government.
The move is the latest in a series of recent measures Mr Maduro has taken to silence international criticism of his regime and weaken the opposition ahead of congressional elections due later this year.
Mr Maduro gave ambassador Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa, a Portuguese diplomat, 72 hours to leave. The EU had imposed the sanctions earlier on Monday.