MADRID (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th February, 2019) The Spanish Foreign Ministry refuted media reports claiming that the ministry had urged Spanish nationals on Monday in its updated travel advisory for Venezuela to refrain from traveling to the country, arguing that the recommendation appeared on the website as early as 2017.
Earlier in the day, an updated version of the travel advisory for Venezuela was published on the ministry's official website. According to the publication, Madrid urges Spanish citizens not to visit the Latin American country unless absolutely necessary.
"The recommendation not to travel to Venezuela, except for the cases when it is absolutely necessary, has not been included [in the travel advisory] in 'recent days,' but has been posted on the ministry's website since May 2017," the ministry said in a statement.
The media reports appeared after Spain recognized on Monday the head of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as the country's interim president, joining almost two dozen other European countries that have already backed the opposition leader.
A diplomatic source in Brussels told Sputnik earlier in the day that Italy had blocked a joint statement by EU countries that officially recognized Guaido as Venezuela's acting president.
Russia and China, as well as several other countries, have backed President Nicolas Maduro as the country's legitimate president.
