Venezuela summons diplomats in escalating row with Spain

CARACAS (Reuters) -The Venezuelan government has recalled its ambassador to Spain for consultations and summoned the Spanish ambassador to appear at the foreign ministry, escalating diplomatic tensions following a disputed presidential election.

In a post on the messaging platform Telegram, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil cited "insolent, interventionist and rude" comments by Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles as the reason behind the move.

During a book presentation in Madrid, Robles had referred to the administration of President Nicolas Maduro as a "dictatorship" on Thursday, saluting those Venezuelans who had to leave the country because of it.

Gil said that he had recalled Gladys Gutierrez, the nation's ambassador to Spain, to Venezuela for consultations, while at the same time summoning Spanish Ambassador to Venezuela, Ramon Santos, to appear at his ministry on Friday.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Friday played down Venezuela's move.

"Summoning an ambassador, I have done it on various occasions, and recalling for consultations are sovereign decisions by every country and there is nothing to comment," he told RNE radio station, adding that he was working to "have the best possible relations with the brotherly people of Venezuela".

He also declined to opine on whether Venezuela was a dictatorship.

On Thursday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez met Venezuela's self-exiled opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez in Madrid, a day after the lower house of Spain's parliament voted to recognize Gonzalez as the winner of the contested presidential election.

The Venezuelan opposition has published detailed vote tallies that pointed to a resounding victory for Gonzalez.

But the national elections authority, which has not published the detailed votes, declared incumbent President Nicolas Maduro the victor.

Maduro has shrugged off international criticism as a right-wing plot.

(Reporting by Deisy Buitrago; Writing by Kylie Madry; Addditional reporting by Andrei Khalip; Editing by Alex Richardson)