Spain recalls Venezuela ambassador over 'intolerable insults' made by Maduro

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Friday, March 18, 2016. (ap)

MADRID (AP) – Spain is recalling its ambassador to Venezuela for consultations over what it said were "intolerable insults" made by Venezuela's president against Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

The temporary recall came Friday after Spain's Foreign Ministry summoned the Venezuelan ambassador to Madrid yet again to protest against the insults made by President Nicolas Maduro against Rajoy.

It was the fifth time the ambassador has been summoned for similar reasons in recent years.

Maduro, who accuses Spain of working to undermine his government, called Rajoy a racist, a colonialist and corrupt trash in a speech Thursday.

Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said the remarks were inappropriate and lamentable and said the government was worried about what it called the "political crisis" in Venezuela.