Spain Summons Venezuelan Envoy to Protest Maduro’s Insults - Reports

The Spanish Foreign Ministry reportedly has summoned Venezuela's envoy to the country to register its displeasure with the recent insults by Nicolas Maduro.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Spanish Foreign Ministry has summoned Venezuela's envoy to the country to register its displeasure with the recent insults by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro toward Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, local media reported on Monday.

On Sunday, Maduro called Rajoy, along with other European leaders, an “assassin” for requiring Greece to adopt austerity measures in exchange for financial aid.

"The Spanish Government regrets that the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela repeatedly resorted to disrespectful statements not helping to improve the relationship," the Spanish ministry said in a statement, as quoted by the local newspaper La Razon.

The Venezuelan ambassador was summoned for the second time in the last three months. In April, Mario Isea was reprimanded by the Spanish Foreign Ministry after Maduro accused Rajoy of financing terrorism in Venezuela and called him a “bandit.”

Tensions between the countries mounted over Spain's support of Venezuelan opposition politicians.

Earlier in April, the Spanish parliament called on Venezuela to immediately release all political prisoners, including the opposition figures Antonio Ledezma and Leopoldo Lopez.