Are Caracas-Bogotá relations restored? Foreign Minister of Petro visits - Venezuela - International

The expectation for the reestablishment of relations between Colombia and Venezuela increases with the passing of days and it seems a real fact after this Thursday the foreign minister appointed by the president-elect Gustavo Petro, Álvaro Leyva visited the state of Táchira and met with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Carlos Faría.

(Also read: Mature: they plan ‘terrorist attacks’ from Bogotá against Venezuela)

The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry confirmed the meeting through its Twitter account, assuring that both representatives of foreign relations expressed “their willingness to advance in a work agenda for the gradual normalization of binational relations as of August 7, with the appointment of ambassadors in Caracas and Bogotá”.

In addition to the meeting with Foreign Minister Faría, Leyva held a meeting with the governor of Táchira, Freddy Bernal, which was held at the Palacio de Los Leones, seat of the regional government. Bernal described it as a “binational meeting between the brother countries, Colombia and Venezuela.”

Since the triumph of Gustavo Petro, the Venezuelan government has insisted that Bogotá-Caracas relations will resume after August 7. At the border, merchants were beginning to regroup and the unions have shown interest in the reactivation of binational trade.

In this meeting, both foreign ministers signed a joint declaration with five points:

1. They expressed their willingness to advance in a work agenda for the gradual normalization of binational relations as of August 7, with the appointment of ambassadors and other diplomatic and consular officials.

2. They ratified their willingness to consolidate the ties of friendship and cooperation with the review of all issues of binational interest for the benefit of the happiness of our Peoples.

3. They reaffirm their willingness to make joint efforts to guarantee security and peace on the borders of our countries.

4. They appreciate the presence of the Deputy Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations verification mission in Colombia at this first and historic meeting, Mr. Raúl Rosende.

5. Support dialogue in favor of building paths of peace, respect and mutual understanding, with full recognition of our complementary capacities.

Although no official from the government of Nicolás Maduro is invited to Petro’s inauguration, both have already talked by telephone about what the future of relations will be.

In Venezuela there were 15 consulates of Colombia and in the neighboring country nine offices of this type, after breaking relations, which had been fractured since 2015, the citizens of both countries find it difficult to receive consular attention.

In 2019, Venezuela definitively broke relations with Colombia after the government of President Iván Duque recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president.

At least 5,000,000 million Colombians live in the country who currently do not have consular assistance.

ANA RODRIGUEZ BRAZON
WEATHER CORRESPONDENT
CARACAS