VENEZUELA: Country Suspends Economic Ties With Panama For 90 Days

(RTTNews) - Venezuela suspended economic and financial ties with 22 individuals and 46 national legal entities of Panama for 90 days to protect the Venezuelan financial system, the presidency reported.

Among the Panamanian individuals are the President, Juan Carlos Varela Foreign Minister Isabel de Saint Malo Aleman while in the case of legal entities are the Panamanian Aviation Company, Panama Life, Casanova Supercenter, Casablanca, Novatex, and Pan Colombia Travel, among others.

Almost immediately, Panama responded by withdrawing its ambassador to Caracas, Miguel Mej?a, and has asked Venezuela to do the same with its counterpart in Panama City, Jorge Durin.

The Venezuelan measure has been interpreted as a retaliation to the sanctions imposed shortly before by Panama on Caracas.