Panama City (AP) – Panama and Venezuela will resume consular services in each other's countries in the coming days, with the Panama Foreign Ministry saying late Thursday that Nicolás Maduro had been suspended for nearly a year after Panama suspended their Venezuelan elections.
“Because the consular issues of citizens must be addressed,” the ministry said in a statement. Both countries agreed to reactivate their consular services.
The diplomatic break was July 29, 2024, when Panama withdrew diplomats from Caracas and announced that it would suspend relations with Venezuela. After the election the day before, the opposition declared fraud and provided evidence that Maduro was completely defeated.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino supports Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who visited Panama a few weeks ago.
Venezuela suspended flights between the two countries, including those of Panama National Airlines. Flights were re-established on May 22 this year.
Panama also insists that Venezuela agrees to accept immigration from countries moving south of Panama, but the issue was not mentioned in its statement Thursday.
