Venezuela announced Tuesday that it has reduced to three the number of diplomats who can be accredited at the French, Italian and Dutch embassies due to the "hostile" response of their governments to the installation of President Nicolas Maduro for a third term.

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday condemned the "unacceptable act of repression" in Venezuela, hours after the brief arrest of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

Nicolas Maduro’s inauguration for a third term as Venezuela’s president drew widespread admonishment from countries that have accused him of stealing the July election.

Venezuela on Tuesday announced restrictions on French, Italian and Dutch diplomats on its soil, citing their governments' "hostile" response to Nicolas Maduro's presidential inauguration, widely rejected as a power grab.