Panama's President, José Raúl Mulino, announced on Monday the suspension of diplomatic relations with Venezuela and the withdrawal of Panama's personnel from the South American country. This decision follows the rejection of the results of the Venezuelan presidential elections, in which the National Electoral Council (CNE) declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner.
"The fragile relationship established in recent years with the Republic of Venezuela has been significantly damaged in the past few days. First, due to the unilateral closure by the Venezuelan government of airspace for flights by our airline Copa Airlines on Friday, July 26," Mulino stated in a declaration published on the Presidency of Panama's account on X.
He also described the elections as an "assault against a free, open, and transparent democratic system," adding that "we cannot ignore the attempt at an institutional coup against the sovereign will of the Venezuelan people."
The President of Panama affirmed that "there is no other option but to make this decision" until the Venezuelan authorities review the electoral records and the computerized system used in the vote count.
Earlier on Monday, Mulino had indicated on his social media account X that his government would take both individual and collective actions, and in the coming hours, measures aligned with inter-American norms would be adopted.
"Panama joins the widespread rejection of the electoral outcome in Venezuela. We had hoped that the popular will would be respected, but this situation was disregarded. We will take individual and collective actions in favor of Venezuelan democracy. We will announce the measures we will adopt according to inter-American rules in the coming hours," the President warned.
FAQs on Panama's Suspension of Diplomatic Ties with Venezuela
To provide clarity on Panama's recent decision to sever diplomatic relations with Venezuela, here are some frequently asked questions and their answers.
Why did Panama suspend diplomatic relations with Venezuela?
Panama suspended diplomatic relations with Venezuela due to the rejection of the results of the Venezuelan presidential elections and the unilateral closure of airspace for flights by Copa Airlines by the Venezuelan government.
What actions will Panama take following this suspension?
Panama plans to take both individual and collective actions in favor of Venezuelan democracy, aligning these measures with inter-American norms.