Venezuela's ambassador to Italy resigns, blaming government's lack of money

Isaías Rodríguez says US sanctions against Caracas means he cannot afford to carry out his duties

Lorenzo Tondo in Palermo
Tue 21 May 2019 12.59 BST Last modified on Tue 21 May 2019 13.12 BST

The Venezuelan ambassador to Italy has resigned, saying his government’s financial difficulties have made his job impossible.

In a letter addressed directly to President Nicolás Maduro and posted on Twitter, Ambassador Isaías Rodríguez reiterated his “immense respect for Maduro’s battle” but insisted the sanctions imposed by the US mean he cannot carry out his duties.

Last week, at a press conference in Rome, Rodríguez said that – due to the sanctions adopted against Caracas – he no longer has the money to pay his employees’ salaries and the rent of his office in Rome, whose debt amounted to €9m.

The US government imposed financial sanctions on Venezuela’s president after the election of a new legislative body to redraft the country’s constitution in a vote described by Washington as a “sham”, as the Trump administration put its full backing behind the opposition leader Juan Guaidó.

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