In a bold move that defies regional heavyweights, Paraguayan President Santiago Peña has publicly refused demands from Mexico and Brazil to shut down his country's embassy in Venezuela.
The diplomatic standoff erupted after Mexico's President-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum, and Brazilian leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged Paraguay to close its diplomatic mission in Caracas. Their request came amidst a contentious election process in Venezuela, which many Western nations have criticised as flawed.
President Peña, however, stood his ground. "It is a matter of principle," he declared, framing the decision as a defence of democratic values. His government recognises opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate winner of the recent Venezuelan presidential vote, a position that puts him at odds with the incumbent Nicolás Maduro.
The Paraguayan embassy in Caracas has become a critical lifeline. It continues to provide essential consular services to a large community of Paraguayan citizens living in Venezuela and serves as a symbolic foothold for nations challenging Maduro's authority.
This refusal marks a significant escalation in Latin American diplomatic tensions. It highlights the deep divisions within the region regarding how to handle the Venezuelan crisis, pitting nations advocating for a harder line against Maduro against those favouring engagement and dialogue.
President Peña's firm stance underscores a smaller nation's willingness to assert its sovereign foreign policy decisions, even when faced with pressure from much larger and more powerful neighbours.
