Paraguay's President Mario Abdo Benitez speaks during a press conference to announce the rupture of diplomatic relations with Venezuela, not recognizing Nicolas Maduro's second-term presidency, in Asuncion, on January 10, 2019. AFP / Norberto Duarte
ASUNCION: Paraguayan President Mario Abdo said on Thursday he was cutting diplomatic ties with Venezuela and was immediately withdrawing his country's diplomats from Caracas.
Abdo made the announcement just minutes after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was sworn into a new term in office. Maduro has shrugged off global criticism that his leadership is illegitimate due to last year's disputed election. "There are no bad consequences when defending just causes," Abdo said in a television address. "The cause of liberty and democracy is a just cause."
