"I am very concerned and the European Union has issued a declaration, which we all agreed with, which is very clear in condemning the unfriendly attitude of the Venezuelan authorities", Mr Santos Silva told Lusa News Agency.

The foreign minister said the only way to resolve the current economic and social difficulties was to overcome the current political stalemate.

This means "that all the institutions are respected and that the elections are organised with time and rules and supervision that everyone recognises".

The Spanish government decided today to declare the Venezuelan ambassador in Madrid 'persona non grata' in “strict application of the principle of reciprocity after the regime of Nicolás Maduro did the same to the Spanish ambassador.

Madrid “regrets the decision” Venezuela took on Thursday to expel the Spanish ambassador, but “given measures of this size” it had to respond “proportionally, the Spanish government spokesman, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, said at a press conference.

Last December, Venezuela took the same attitude towards the ambassadors of Brazil and Canada, who later also expelled the Venezuelan ambassadors from their countries.