Peru expels Venezuelan ambassador to protest constituent assembly
Baku, August 12, AZERTAC
Peru said on Friday it was expelling Venezuela's ambassador to Peru to protest the country's recent formation of an all-powerful constituent assembly that has been widely condemned as a power grab by socialist President Nicolas Maduro.
According to Reuters, Venezuela responded by ordering the charge d'affaires at the Peruvian embassy in Caracas to leave the country within five days. Peru withdrew its ambassador to Venezuela in March.
Peru's announcement on Friday, shortly after President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski called Maduro a "dictator", marked the first time that a country has moved to expel a Venezuelan ambassador since the country's July 30 vote to form the constituent assembly amid allegations of fraud.
In Latin America, Peru has taken the toughest stance toward Maduro as he seeks to consolidate power and crack down on anti-government protests and unrest that have left 120 dead since April.
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