CARACAS (REUTERS) - Venezuela's government expelled the German ambassador on Wednesday (March 6), while press advocacy groups said an American journalist had been detained, as embattled President Nicolas Maduro cracks down on a challenge to his rule.

Ambassador Daniel Kriener was expelled two days after he and diplomats from other embassies welcomed home opposition leader Juan Guaido at the Caracas airport.

The government declared Kriener persona non grata and gave him 48 hours to leave the country, accusing him of meddling in internal affairs, although it did not give specific details.

"Venezuela considers it unacceptable that a foreign diplomat carries out in its territory a public role closer to that of a political leader aligned with the conspiratorial agenda of extremist sectors of the Venezuelan opposition," the government said in a statement.

A German foreign ministry spokeswoman confirmed Venezuela had expelled the ambassador and that the ministry was consulting with its allies on how to respond.

Most Western countries, including Germany, recognise Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate head of state and back his plan to install a transition government ahead of free elections.

Guaido denounces Maduro as an usurper whose re-election last year resulted from a sham vote. Maduro says he is victim of a coup.

Kriener, along with ambassadors and diplomats from other European embassies, had gone to the airport on Monday to support Guaido, who had risked arrest on his return to Venezuela for flouting a court-imposed travel ban to visit other Latin American countries.

On Monday, the embassy said on its Twitter account that Kriener hoped Guaido's return "was a step towards a peaceful and political process to overcome the Venezuelan crisis."

Separately, Venezuela's National Press Workers Union said on Twitter that American journalist Cody Weddle was arrested at his home on Wednesday by military counterintelligence agents. Espacio Publico, a free speech group, said he had been accused of treachery and that the agents took his computer and equipment.

WPLG Local 10 News, a Miami television station that Weddle contributed to, reported on its website that management attempts to reach Weddle "have proven unsuccessful" and that his last contact with station employees was on Monday afternoon.

Neither Venezuela's information ministry nor the US State Department immediately responded to requests for comment.

Last week, Venezuela deported a team from US television network Univision after anchor Jorge Ramos said authorities detained them at the presidential palace. </s> BERLIN - The German government says the country's ambassador to Venezuela has returned to Caracas, four months after Venezuelan authorities ordered him to leave.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Rainer Breul said Monday that ambassador Daniel Kriener returned to Venezuela on Saturday. Venezuela previously withdrew its classification of Kriener as persona non grata.

Kriener and some other diplomats greeted opposition leader Juan Guaido, whom Germany and many other countries recognize as Venezuela's interim president, when he returned to Venezuela from a trip abroad in early March.

The government ordered him to leave and Germany said it was recalling him to Berlin for consultations.

Breul stressed that “our political position on the issue of Venezuela is unchanged” and said that Guaido wanted Kriener to return. </s> BERLIN (AP) — The German government says the country’s ambassador to Venezuela has returned to Caracas, 4 ½ months after Venezuelan authorities ordered him to leave.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Rainer Breul said Monday that ambassador Daniel Kriener returned to Venezuela on Saturday. Venezuela previously withdrew its classification of Kriener as persona non grata.

Kriener and some other diplomats greeted opposition leader Juan Guaidó, whom Germany and many other countries recognize as Venezuela’s interim president, when he returned to Venezuela from a trip abroad in early March. The government ordered him to leave and Germany said it was recalling him to Berlin for consultations.

Breul stressed that “our political position on the issue of Venezuela is unchanged” and said that Guaidó wanted Kriener to return.

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. </s> The German ambassador to Venezuela has returned to Caracas just over four months after the government forced him out of the South American country.

Daniel Kriener returned to the Venezuelan capital on Saturday following Venezuela's decision in early July to re-recognize his diplomatic status, according to the German Foreign Office.

The office's deputy spokesperson, Rainer Breul, said he was "glad that Ambassador Kriener is able to take up his duties as ambassador to Venezuela again."

Read more: What does it mean to be declared persona non grata?

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he hoped to build "an agenda of mutual interest, in accordance with the principles of international cooperation" with Kriener after he returned.

Maduro's government declared Kriener a persona non grata on March 6, alleging that he had interfered in Venezuelan home affairs. The move came after Kriener greeted opposition leader Juan Guaido as he returned from a trip abroad.

Germany is one of more than 50 countries that have recognized Guaido as interim president over allegations that Maduro's 2018 re-election was fraudulent.

Breul made it clear that the German position on Venezuelan affairs "is unchanged," and confirmed that Maduro had requested Kriener's return.

A severe economic crisis has caused some 8 million Venezuelans to flee the country, many of them going into Colombia.

Human Rights Watch has called the situation in Venezuela a "humanitarian crisis," citing widespread shortages of medicine and food.

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here. </s> Germany's ambassador to Venezuela has returned after being expelled by President Nicolas Maduro's government in March over Berlin's backing of opposition leader Juan Guaido's claim to the presidency, the German embassy said on Monday.

Daniel Kriener arrived back in the crisis-hit South American nation at the weekend to "once again perform his duties from Caracas," the German embassy said on Twitter.

In March, Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza declared Kriener "persona non grata" as he was given 48 hours to leave the country.

The move was criticized both by Germany and the European Union.

Maduro's government had accused Kriener of "interference" after he welcomed Guaido back at Caracas airport following the National Assembly speaker's controversial trip abroad to meet allied regional leaders.

Guaido -- who in January declared himself acting president in a direct challenge to the socialist leader's authority -- was under a travel ban imposed by the regime.

Germany is one of the more than 50 countries to have recognized Guaido's claims.

"Our position with respect to recognizing Juan Guaido as Venezuela's interim president, in accordance with the Venezuelan constitution, has not changed," said Germany's foreign ministry.

Venezuela's foreign ministry said the move had initiated a "process of normalization of relations between the two states."

Guaido and Venezuela's opposition have branded Maduro a "usurper" over his re-election last year in a poll widely dismissed as having been rigged.

They want Maduro to resign so new elections can be held.

The two sides have held talks in Norway and Barbados to try to resolve the political impasse.

Venezuela is crippled by an economic crisis that has left a quarter of the 30 million population needing humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations.
Four months after being expelled from the country, German Ambassador to Venezuela Daniel Kriener [de] returns to his post in the nation.