Chile to recall ambassador from Venezuela for consultations

SANTIAGO -- Chilean President Gabriel Boric said on Thursday that he will recall his country's ambassador to Venezuela, Jaime Gazmuri, for consultations after Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil denied the existence of the transnational criminal group Tren de Aragua.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Boric said he decided to consult with the diplomat "with the objective of gathering detailed information about the current situation in the country and instructing him to take all necessary actions both with the Venezuelan government and also international organizations."

Earlier this week, Gil dismissed "Tren de Aragua" as a "false narrative" and a "fiction created by the international media to create a non-existent label."

In his message, Boric said such statements were "irresponsible," "concerning" and a "serious insult to the victims of this organization."

"They demonstrate a lack of commitment to the needed international cooperation in matters of security, which is neither fair nor tolerable," Boric said.

Similarly, Chile's Minister of the Interior and Public Security, Carolina Toha, said Gil's statements constitute an offense to Latin Americans, and Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren called Venezuela's position "unacceptable denialism."