Venezuelan Flag Absent From Embassy In US Due To Flagpole Maintenance - Guaido's Office

The Venezuelan flag is currently missing from the embassy building in Washington DC due to the flagpole maintenance, Director of Communications of the self-proclaimed interim president of Venezuela Juan Guaido's self-proclaimed embassy in the United States, Johan Merchan, told Sputnik on Friday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th October, 2021) The Venezuelan flag is currently missing from the embassy building in Washington DC due to the flagpole maintenance, Director of Communications of the self-proclaimed interim president of Venezuela Juan Guaido's self-proclaimed embassy in the United States, Johan Merchan, told Sputnik on Friday.

"The flagpole that supports the Venezuelan flag is undergoing maintenance, something that was never done by the representation of the Maduro dictatorship while it was in charge of the Embassy. They left destruction at that and other Venezuelan diplomatic offices in DC," Merchan said.

The building that serves as both the Embassy houses the Venezuelan Mission to the OAS currently has no flag on it, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

"Within our very limited resources, Ambassador Carlos Vecchio has asked for the respective maintenance of all diplomatic spaces at the appropriate time. The building in Georgetown is the headquarters of the Venezuelan Embassy in the United States. In the next few days, the flag will be flying again, once the maintenance of the flagpole is completed," Merchan added.

The Venezuelan crisis broke out in January 2019 when opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president after disputing incumbent President Nicolas Maduro's re-election in May 2018. Guaido is recognized by the United States and many of its allies but Russia, China and several other states have backed Maduro as the only legitimate president of Venezuela.