EU ambassador leaves Venezuela after expulsion

EU: They react to the expulsion of the EU head of mission 2:28

(CNN Spanish) -

The ambassador of the European Union in Venezuela, Isabel Brilhante, left the country on Tuesday, according to what the bloc's press team told CNN.

The departure of Birlhante comes after last Wednesday, February 24, the questioned president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, ordered his expulsion and gave him a period of 72 hours to leave the country.

According to EU security officials told CNN, Brilhante arrived at Simón Bolívar de Maiquetía International Airport around 06:15 a.m. (local time) and departed on a flight from the Turkish state airline Turkish Airlines at 10:00 a.m.

Brilhante said goodbye to Venezuela this Tuesday through a message on his Twitter account.

«Today Caracas gave me the most beautiful sunrise with El Ávila in all its splendor.

Infinite thanks to all Venezuelans for their love, recognition and affection.

I carry you all in so many beautiful memories.

My heart stays here.

I love you Venezuela, "he wrote on the social network.

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Brilhante was due to leave Venezuela on Saturday, according to the initial deadline given by the government, but requested an extension.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza explained on Wednesday that the measure was taken in rejection of the sanctions imposed by the bloc against citizens of the country.

The response of the block

In response, a day later, the EU declared Claudia Salerno persona non grata.

Salerno is the head of the mission of the Government of Venezuela before the community bloc.

The EU explained in a statement that the decision was taken "at the initiative of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy."

Salerno wrote on Twitter on Thursday that he has handled the relationship with the EU "with sobriety and respect."

And Foreign Minister Arreaza thanked him in that message for his "professional and respectful work."

CNN is trying to find out when the diplomat's return will be.

The diplomatic measure taken by Venezuela took place after the European Council sanctioned 19 Venezuelan officials on February 22.

He did so because of what he called "his role in acts and decisions that undermine democracy and the operation of the law in the country or as a result of serious human rights violations."

European Union sanctions on Venezuela

In a statement, the bloc's executive body explained that the decision is the follow-up to the conclusions adopted on January 25 "in view of the deteriorating situation in Venezuela after the December 2020 elections."

Officials included in the list rejected the measure as illegal, interfering and arbitrary.

This measure raised to 55 the total of sanctions on which travel bans weigh on the countries that make up the EU and the freezing of assets that they may have in those territories.

This time the president and vice president of the National Electoral Council of Venezuela, Indira Maira Alfonzo Izaguirre and Leonardo Enrique Morales Poleo, among others, were added to the list.

In the document, the bloc explains that these measures "are not designed to have adverse humanitarian effects or consequences for the Venezuelan population and can be reversed."