PANAMA and Venezuela will restore consular services in each other’s countries in the coming days, Panama’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said late on Thursday. It will have been nearly a year since Panama suspended relations following the re-election of President Nicolas Maduro.

“Due to the imperative need to attend to the consular issues of their citizens,” the two countries agreed to reactivate their consular services, the ministry said in a statement.

The diplomatic break began on July 29 2024, when Panama pulled its diplomats from Caracas and announced it was suspending relations with Venezuela. 

It followed elections the day before which the opposition declared fraudulent, saying it had evidence that Mr Maduro was roundly defeated.

Panama President Jose Raul Mulino gave his support to the Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who had visited Panama weeks earlier.

Venezuela suspended flights between both countries in response, including those by Panamanian national carrier Copa Airlines. These were re-established on May 22 this year.

Panama had insisted that Venezuela agree to receive migrants from its country moving south through Panama, but there was no mention of that issue in Thursday’s statement.