The Government guarantees that the replacement of the ambassador in Venezuela does not affect the situation of Leopoldo López

Leopoldo López, the Venezuelan opposition leader welcomed in the Spanish embassy in Caracas, will remain in the diplomatic legation despite the upcoming replacement of the ambassador, Jesús Silva.

Foreign Ministry sources have guaranteed this Friday that the situation of López, who has lived in the diplomat's residence since May last year, is not modified by the rotation of ambassadors that will take place in the coming weeks and that affects Silva.

The change, postponed for months, occurs at a time of special diplomatic activity in Caracas, when the contact group led by the European Union and promoted by Spain to try to unblock the Venezuelan crisis explores a solution for the legislative elections in December .

Foreign Affairs frames the change in the usual rotations that take place in the embassies and adds that there are other positions affected: the mission headquarters in Cuba, Colombia, Bolivia, El Salvador, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

The vacant position in Venezuela will soon be filled by the current ambassador to Cuba, Juan Fernández Trigo, according to Europa Press.

This diplomat was appointed by the first Government of Pedro Sánchez, in October 2018. Ministry sources assure that he is on the list, waiting for diplomatic placet.

Silva directs the embassy in Caracas since he was appointed by the Mariano Rajoy Executive in 2017. Perhaps the moment of greatest tension during his tenure occurred at the beginning of May 2019, when López, his wife - also opposition member Lilian Tintori -, and one of his sons sought shelter in the ambassador's residence, an inviolable territory where he cannot be required by the Venezuelan authorities.

López had just come out of house arrest, released in a military action led by Juan Guaidó, recognized by around 60 countries as the interim president of Venezuela, including Spain.

Despite everything, this attempt to overthrow the regime was frustrated and López ended up seeking protection in the Spanish legation.

A few hours later, the Government of Nicolás Maduro issued an arrest warrant against the opponent.

Although Tintori and the minor later moved to Spain, López has remained there ever since.

The Spanish ambassador, whose departure from Venezuela will not be immediate and will be effective in the coming weeks, has been one of the diplomatic representatives most involved in the search for solutions to the serious political and social crisis in the South American country.

He has been the target of pressure from the Government of Caracas, which after the arrival of the opposition leader intensified the surveillance of the intelligence services in the vicinity of his residence, located in the Country Club urbanization.

And on more than one occasion he received explicit warnings from Maduro himself.

The last time occurred last June, when Hugo Chávez's successor threatened to expel the ambassador of the European Union, Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa.

Then he also issued a warning to Silva, by linking him to López's activities and by ensuring that "Venezuela reserves diplomatic actions" against him.

Finally, everything was in a rhetorical escalation.

The veteran diplomat, however, did have to leave the country at the beginning of 2018, in the middle of another crisis between Madrid and Caracas, when both countries decreed the reciprocal expulsion of their ambassadors.

The regime at that time accused Spain of interference in its domestic politics.

However, months later, before the May presidential elections that were rejected by the majority of the opposition forces, Jesús Silva returned to the country and resumed his work.

Despite the tensions with the Government, the ambassador always maintained constant relationships and communication channels with the Miraflores Palace.

For Maduro, the European Union, which has always maintained a more nuanced position and open to dialogue than Washington, is a key interlocutor, probably the only one in a position to openly support Guaidó and at the same time establish mediation with the regime.

And on the map of European diplomatic legations, Spain plays a decisive role in all of Latin America.