BERLIN - The German government says the country's ambassador to Venezuela has returned to Caracas, four months after Venezuelan authorities ordered him to leave.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Rainer Breul said Monday that ambassador Daniel Kriener returned to Venezuela on Saturday. Venezuela previously withdrew its classification of Kriener as persona non grata.

Kriener and some other diplomats greeted opposition leader Juan Guaido, whom Germany and many other countries recognize as Venezuela's interim president, when he returned to Venezuela from a trip abroad in early March.

The government ordered him to leave and Germany said it was recalling him to Berlin for consultations.

Breul stressed that “our political position on the issue of Venezuela is unchanged” and said that Guaido wanted Kriener to return. </s> BERLIN (AP) — The German government says the country’s ambassador to Venezuela has returned to Caracas, 4 ½ months after Venezuelan authorities ordered him to leave.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Rainer Breul said Monday that ambassador Daniel Kriener returned to Venezuela on Saturday. Venezuela previously withdrew its classification of Kriener as persona non grata.

Kriener and some other diplomats greeted opposition leader Juan Guaidó, whom Germany and many other countries recognize as Venezuela’s interim president, when he returned to Venezuela from a trip abroad in early March. The government ordered him to leave and Germany said it was recalling him to Berlin for consultations.

Breul stressed that “our political position on the issue of Venezuela is unchanged” and said that Guaidó wanted Kriener to return.

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. </s> The German ambassador to Venezuela has returned to Caracas just over four months after the government forced him out of the South American country.

Daniel Kriener returned to the Venezuelan capital on Saturday following Venezuela's decision in early July to re-recognize his diplomatic status, according to the German Foreign Office.

The office's deputy spokesperson, Rainer Breul, said he was "glad that Ambassador Kriener is able to take up his duties as ambassador to Venezuela again."

Read more: What does it mean to be declared persona non grata?

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he hoped to build "an agenda of mutual interest, in accordance with the principles of international cooperation" with Kriener after he returned.

Maduro's government declared Kriener a persona non grata on March 6, alleging that he had interfered in Venezuelan home affairs. The move came after Kriener greeted opposition leader Juan Guaido as he returned from a trip abroad.

Germany is one of more than 50 countries that have recognized Guaido as interim president over allegations that Maduro's 2018 re-election was fraudulent.

Breul made it clear that the German position on Venezuelan affairs "is unchanged," and confirmed that Maduro had requested Kriener's return.

A severe economic crisis has caused some 8 million Venezuelans to flee the country, many of them going into Colombia.

Human Rights Watch has called the situation in Venezuela a "humanitarian crisis," citing widespread shortages of medicine and food.

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here. </s> CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The Venezuelan government on Wednesday ordered the German ambassador to leave the country after he expressed support for Juan Guaido, escalating a diplomatic standoff with a group of about 50 nations that recognize the opposition leader as the country's interim president.

Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza tweeted a statement saying Ambassador Daniel Kriener interfered in Venezuela's internal affairs and allied himself with "extremist sectors" of the opposition.

Venezuela considers it unacceptable that a foreign diplomat would take on "a public role more appropriate to that of a political leader," the government statement said. It gave Kriener 48 hours to leave the country.

Kriener and some other diplomats greeted Guaido when he returned to Venezuela on Monday and vowed to intensify his campaign to topple the government of President Nicolas Maduro.

At the country's main airport, Kriener spoke to journalists and said he hoped the leader of the National Assembly would be safe. There were concerns that the opposition leader might face detention, but Maduro's government did not move against him.

After the expulsion order, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said he had decided to recall Kriener to Berlin for consultations.

"This is an incomprehensible decision that aggravates the situation and does not contribute to de-escalation," Maas said in a statement. "Our, Europe's, support for Juan Guaido is unbroken. Ambassador Kriener is doing excellent work in Caracas, including in recent days."

In a speech at the National Assembly, Guaido condemned the expulsion of the ambassador.

"They're threatening an important European country that is providing humanitarian help to Venezuela," he said.

Guaido also said Maduro had effectively been ignoring him since his return to Venezuela in hopes that his political momentum will fade. On Tuesday, Maduro belittled his opponents as "opportunists and cowards," but did not mention Guaido by name.

The adversaries have announced rival demonstrations on Saturday as they seek to motivate supporters.

A U.S. journalist working in Venezuela, meanwhile, was taken away by security forces from his Caracas apartment early Wednesday, according to witnesses and colleagues. Executives at a Miami TV station said hours later that freelance journalist Cody Weddle, who reported for the station, had been freed and taken to the airport for a flight to the U.S.

The U.S. State Department said earlier that it was deeply concerned about the reported detention of a U.S. journalist. Venezuelan officials did not comment on the case.

Venezuela broke off diplomatic ties with neighboring Colombia after Maduro's security forces blocked a Feb. 23 attempt by Guaido and allies to bring humanitarian aid into Venezuela from Colombia and Brazil. He also broke diplomatic relations with the United States after it recognized Guaido as interim president in late January, initially giving American diplomats 72 hours to leave the country. The Trump administration refused to obey Maduro's order.

The U.S., Germany and some 50 other countries consider Maduro's re-election invalid and have urged him to step aside so the country can prepare for elections. Maduro says he is the target of a U.S.-backed coup plot.

The U.S. is pursuing new diplomatic and economic initiatives to support Guaido's bid for a transitional government in Venezuela, National Security Adviser John Bolton said Wednesday.

"The United States is putting foreign financial institutions on notice that they will face sanctions for being involved in facilitating illegitimate transactions that benefit Nicolas Maduro and his corrupt network," Bolton said in a statement.

The Trump administration has imposed oil sanctions in Venezuela as well as sanctions on high-ranking members of the Venezuelan security forces and other senior officials. The U.S. visas of other Venezuelan officials and their relatives have been revoked.

Associated Press writers Scott Smith and Jorge Rueda in Caracas, Geir Moulson in Berlin and Luis Alonso Lugo in Washington contributed to this report. </s> Germany's ambassador to Venezuela has returned after being expelled by President Nicolas Maduro's government in March over Berlin's backing of opposition leader Juan Guaido's claim to the presidency, the German embassy said on Monday.

Daniel Kriener arrived back in the crisis-hit South American nation at the weekend to "once again perform his duties from Caracas," the German embassy said on Twitter.

In March, Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza declared Kriener "persona non grata" as he was given 48 hours to leave the country.

The move was criticized both by Germany and the European Union.

Maduro's government had accused Kriener of "interference" after he welcomed Guaido back at Caracas airport following the National Assembly speaker's controversial trip abroad to meet allied regional leaders.

Guaido -- who in January declared himself acting president in a direct challenge to the socialist leader's authority -- was under a travel ban imposed by the regime.

Germany is one of the more than 50 countries to have recognized Guaido's claims.

"Our position with respect to recognizing Juan Guaido as Venezuela's interim president, in accordance with the Venezuelan constitution, has not changed," said Germany's foreign ministry.

Venezuela's foreign ministry said the move had initiated a "process of normalization of relations between the two states."

Guaido and Venezuela's opposition have branded Maduro a "usurper" over his re-election last year in a poll widely dismissed as having been rigged.

They want Maduro to resign so new elections can be held.

The two sides have held talks in Norway and Barbados to try to resolve the political impasse.

Venezuela is crippled by an economic crisis that has left a quarter of the 30 million population needing humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations. </s> CARACAS (REUTERS) - Venezuela's government expelled the German ambassador on Wednesday (March 6), while press advocacy groups said an American journalist had been detained, as embattled President Nicolas Maduro cracks down on a challenge to his rule.

Ambassador Daniel Kriener was expelled two days after he and diplomats from other embassies welcomed home opposition leader Juan Guaido at the Caracas airport.

The government declared Kriener persona non grata and gave him 48 hours to leave the country, accusing him of meddling in internal affairs, although it did not give specific details.

"Venezuela considers it unacceptable that a foreign diplomat carries out in its territory a public role closer to that of a political leader aligned with the conspiratorial agenda of extremist sectors of the Venezuelan opposition," the government said in a statement.

A German foreign ministry spokeswoman confirmed Venezuela had expelled the ambassador and that the ministry was consulting with its allies on how to respond.

Most Western countries, including Germany, recognise Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate head of state and back his plan to install a transition government ahead of free elections.

Guaido denounces Maduro as an usurper whose re-election last year resulted from a sham vote. Maduro says he is victim of a coup.

Kriener, along with ambassadors and diplomats from other European embassies, had gone to the airport on Monday to support Guaido, who had risked arrest on his return to Venezuela for flouting a court-imposed travel ban to visit other Latin American countries.

On Monday, the embassy said on its Twitter account that Kriener hoped Guaido's return "was a step towards a peaceful and political process to overcome the Venezuelan crisis."

Separately, Venezuela's National Press Workers Union said on Twitter that American journalist Cody Weddle was arrested at his home on Wednesday by military counterintelligence agents. Espacio Publico, a free speech group, said he had been accused of treachery and that the agents took his computer and equipment.

WPLG Local 10 News, a Miami television station that Weddle contributed to, reported on its website that management attempts to reach Weddle "have proven unsuccessful" and that his last contact with station employees was on Monday afternoon.

Neither Venezuela's information ministry nor the US State Department immediately responded to requests for comment.

Last week, Venezuela deported a team from US television network Univision after anchor Jorge Ramos said authorities detained them at the presidential palace. </s> OTTAWA — Canada suspended operations at its embassy in Venezuela on Sunday, saying President Nicolas Maduro's regime has made it impossible for diplomats to continue working.

In a statement, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland says Canadian diplomats' visas are set to expire at the end of June and cannot be renewed.

Freeland says Ottawa is now evaluating the status of Venezuelan diplomats in Canada.

The Canadian government has been a vocal critic of Maduro, calling him a dictator who stole an election. </s> American Todd Leininger has been released by Venezuela's government and returned to the United States, his family said Friday.

"Over the past five years, all I have hoped and worked for is Todd’s safe return home. This was a long and often heart-breaking journey, but I am so grateful to be reunited with my son and to have him back home in Indiana," his mother Barbara Leininger said in a statement.

Leininger had been held for five years, accused of arms trafficking and attempted murder. The U.S. called the charges trumped up.

His release comes at a moment of heightened tension between the Trump administration and the government of Nicolas Maduro. The socialist leader is under tight U.S. sanctions for his crackdown on political opposition, seizure of power and blockade of international humanitarian aid. The U.S. and over 50 other countries back the leader of the National Assembly Juan Guaido as the legitimate president.

The State Department confirmed Leininger's release, telling ABC News that it was "overdue."

Leininger was released from prison in Venezuela's capital of Caracas on Wednesday, and flown to Miami on Thursday, where his family will meet him.

While imprisoned, "he endured mental and physical illnesses and extreme conditions throughout his imprisonment, including lack of food and medicine, made even worse in recent months by the escalating crisis in the country," according to his family.

As many as a dozen other U.S. citizens are detained in Venezuela by the Maduro government, according to a State Department official. A spokesperson who said the U.S. "welcomes" Leininger's release called on Maduro to release the others.

"We remain concerned about other Americans in prison in Venezuela," they said in a statement. "We continue to call for their immediate release."

That was said to be complicated by the withdrawal of U.S. personnel from Venezuela. In March, the U.S. embassy in Caracas closed its doors and all American personnel returned to the U.S. Without consular officials on the ground to advocate for prisoners' release, their freedom was increasingly in jeopardy.

Among those still imprisoned are six employees of the U.S. oil company CITGO, who the State Department said "have been wrongfully detained for more than a year." CITGO is owned by Venezuela's state oil company PdVSA.

For Leininger, there were multiple false starts in securing his release. In May 2018, a judge granted him parole for good behavior, but he was never released. Last November, a court ordered his full release, but it never came.

At the time, he recorded a video message for his mother Barbara, telling her, "I love you, and I think I'm going to be coming home very soon, Mom. It's really, really exciting. It's very unsure though because we're here in Venezuela... You know how it's been for me."

In her statement Friday, Barbara Leininger thanked the State Department and members of Congress, as well as the Swiss embassy. Switzerland is currently the protecting power for the U.S. in Venezuela, looking after its citizens and embassy now that U.S. diplomats are gone.

This is a developing news story. Please check back in for updates. </s> TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada will suspend operations at its embassy in Venezuela immediately because its diplomats will no longer be able to obtain visas, the Canadian foreign minister said on Sunday.

Chrystia Freeland said in a statement that President Nicolas Maduro’s “regime has taken steps to limit the ability of foreign embassies to function in Venezuela.”

Canada is one of a dozen countries in the Lima Group regional bloc, along with Brazil, Argentina and Chile, which recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaido as the legitimate Venezuelan leader and is demanding that Maduro resign.

“Unfortunately, at the end of this month, Canadian diplomats in Venezuela will no longer be in a position to obtain diplomatic accreditation under the Maduro regime, and their visas will expire,” Freeland said in the statement. “Therefore, we are left with no choice but to temporarily suspend our operations at the embassy of Canada to Venezuela, effective immediately.

Freeland said Canada was “also evaluating the status of Venezuelan diplomats appointed by the Maduro regime to Canada.”

Venezuela’s information ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Four months after being expelled from the country, German Ambassador to Venezuela Daniel Kriener [de] returns to his post in the nation.