Ministry of People’s Power for Foreign Affairs

Statement

The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela received on 21st July a ridiculous communication from the authorities illegitimately set up in the Republic of Honduras, stating their intention to expel all the diplomatic, administrative, technical personnel and service staff of the Venezuelan diplomatic mission within a period of seventy two hours, threatening to be unaware of the privileges that the international public law gives to members of diplomatic missions.

Since it does not recognize, together with the International community as a whole, the illegitimate authorities that have established themselves as a “de facto” Government in the Republic of Honduras, the Bolivarian Government does not know what is the content of the aforementioned communication, because it does not constitute an official statement issued by the constitutional and legitimate Government of that State.

The Venezuelan Government will use all the necessary resources to keep the integrity of its diplomatic mission in Tegucigalpa and the integrity of the accredited personnel before the constitutional Government of the Republic of Honduras, and urges public officials of the Honduran State to refrain from giving offensive treatment to any member of the Venezuelan diplomatic mission in Honduras, on pain of committing a serious breach of the Vienna Convention about Diplomatic Relations that would lead to international responsibility on the State of Honduras.

The Bolivarian Government, together with the People of Venezuela, emphasizes to the noble Honduran community its solidarity in this difficult historical times, at the same time as they trust in that, even earlier than later, its sovereign will, expressed with courage and bravery along the streets of this sister nation, will supersede the arbitrariness and the outrage of the usurpers.

Caracas, 22nd July 2009