Jan 15, (V7N) - Venezuela announced it will restrict the number of accredited diplomats at the French, Italian, and Dutch embassies to three per country, citing their "hostile" responses to President Nicolás Maduro's contested third-term inauguration. These diplomats must now obtain written authorization to travel more than 40 km from Caracas' Plaza Bolívar.

Maduro's re-election in July 2024 has been widely condemned as fraudulent by the U.S., EU, G7, and several Latin American countries. Opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who claims victory, is in exile after seeking refuge at the Dutch embassy.

Venezuela's move deepens Maduro's international isolation, with only Cuba and Nicaragua attending his swearing-in. Western nations responded with new sanctions, criticizing the regime for repression, including arrests and violence against opposition figures.

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