Venezuela to announce “political and economic” measures against Spain

Venezuela warned Spain on Wednesday that it would conduct “an exhaustive review of bilateral relations” aimed at taking measures against Madrid as part of the latest diplomatic spat between the two countries, which erupted after Spanish lawmakers passed a non-binding motion calling for the release of Venezuelan opposition leaders.

These statements and insults do not contribute a minimum of bilateral understanding”

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez called in Spanish ambassador Antonio Pérez-Hernández to explain that the measures, which will be announced “shortly” by President Nicolás Maduro, will cover the political, economic, media and social sectors where both countries hold cooperation treaties.

The meeting at the Caracas Foreign Ministry came just hours after Mario Isea, the Venezuelan ambassador in Madrid, was summoned by Spanish officials, who complained about the insults that Maduro had hurled against Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy during a public television broadcast, which had included calling him a “racist.”

“These types of statements and insults do not contribute a minimum of understanding between our countries,” said Pablo Gómez de Olea, the ministry’s director for Ibero-American affairs.

The tit-for-tat dispute ignited after the Spanish Congress passed a non-binding resolution calling for the immediate release of jailed Venezuelan opposition leaders, including Leopoldo López and Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma, who are being held in a military prison outside the capital.

“The [Spanish parliament] should go and voice their opinions about their own mothers, but they should not be giving opinions about Venezuela,” Maduro said in response on Tuesday night. He also accused Rajoy of maneuvering with others to oust his government.

“Rajoy, your abuses have ended. I am preparing to do battle with Madrid. I have ordered an analysis of the assault taken against us by the corrupt elitists in Spain, and I will prepare a joint series of comprehensive responses,” Maduro said in his weekly television and radio broadcast.

Spain has a series of major business holdings in Venezuela, including interests owned by Telefónica, Repsol and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya.