April 09, 2018 - 5:21 PM
PANAMA CITY - Panama's foreign minister says her country may take further retaliatory measures against Venezuela if the neighbouring nation doesn't reverse diplomatic and trade bans announced last week.
Isabel de Saint Malo said Monday that "let's hope Venezuela revises some things, because otherwise Panama will have to take coherent countermeasures."
Venezuela banned key Panamanian businesses from operating on its territory after Panama's government put Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on a list of Venezuelan officials deemed to be at "high risk" for laundering money. The ban included businesses of Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela and Copa, one of the few airlines still operating within Venezuela.
Panama then pulled its ambassador from Venezuela and asked Venezuela to recall its emissary. Panama is keeping its embassy in Caracas open with a skeleton staff.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018