During an international leftist gathering in Mexico City, former Colombian President Gustavo Petro was publicly heckled and called a “liar” by Venezuelan socialist lawmakers. The confrontation erupted after Petro criticized Caracas for failing to defend its oil reserves during the January 3 military operation by the United States that captured Nicolás Maduro.
The clash took place at the XXX International Seminar “Los Partidos y una Nueva Sociedad,” an event organized by Mexico’s Labor Party that brought together representatives of leftist parties and organizations from five continents to debate ideological strategies. As Petro addressed the audience, his commentary on Venezuela’s geopolitical reality broke the surface of diplomatic pleasantries.
Petro pointed directly to the statements made by United States President Donald Trump regarding Venezuelan crude. Last August, Washington announced an agreement securing over 65 billion barrels of proven Venezuelan reserves—amounting to a fifth of the nation’s total deposits. Petro asserted from the podium that when Trump describes securing that petroleum as a “botín,” the American leader “is telling the truth.”
Clashing Over the Events of January 3
The tension deepened when Petro discussed the specifics of the January 3 raid that removed Maduro and Cilia Flores from power. Petro told the auditorium that Venezuelan state forces offered no resistance, claiming that “los únicos que se defendieron fueron los militares cubanos” assigned to Maduro’s security detail. Data from organizations of the civil society indicate that 32 Cuban service members and 42 Venezuelan troops died during the operation, with Petro adding that the surviving troops fought until they exhausted their ammunition and that a surviving Cuban transferred each deceased compatriot’s body to a warehouse so their families could later bury them.
These declarations drew an immediate, furious response from the floor. Jesús Faría, a deputy of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), interrupted the speech. Faría shouted at the former Colombian president:
“¡Diga la verdad, que eso es mentira lo que está diciendo, tienes que tener dignidad!”
Organizers intervened to calm the atmosphere and prevent the confrontation from escalating further, according to reports. Amid the exchange, Petro remarked that there cannot be a Hugo Chávez with gifted oil and that he is not going anywhere living on nostalgia.
Historical Accusations in the Hallways
The hostilities did not end when Petro stepped away from the microphone. Venezuelan lawmaker Tania Díaz confronted Petro in the corridors outside the main auditorium. Díaz leveled a severe historical accusation against the former Colombian leader, labeling him the “Santander de esta época”—a reference to Francisco de Paula Santander, whom the Bolivarian movement traditionally casts as a traitor to Simón Bolívar’s vision.
Díaz asserted that Petro had prior knowledge of the military operation against Venezuela and remained silent. Other PSUV deputies in the vicinity shouted back at him, calling him “Falso, fariseo e hipócrita.”
| Event Detail | Reported Fact |
|---|---|
| Location | Mexico City, XXX International Seminar |
| Key Figures Involved | Gustavo Petro, Jesús Faría, Tania Díaz |
| Core Dispute | Control of Venezuelan oil reserves and January 3 raid |
Beyond the immediate shouting match, Petro used his platform to question Venezuela’s reliance on hydrocarbons. He argued that there is no difference between a climate-change-denying Trump and a climate-change-denying leftist. Energy Information Administration figures showing Venezuela shipped approximately 105.6 million barrels to the United States between January and July.
