Venezuela and Colombia have resumed diplomatic relations severed three years ago, AFP reported on Monday. The Colombian ambassador, appointed by the new leftist President Gustavo Petro, arrived in Caracas on Sunday.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro (illustrative image) | Photo: Reuters | Source: Reuters
“Relationships with Venezuela should never have been severed. We are brothers and no imaginary line can separate us,” Ambassador Armando Benedetti wrote on Twitter.
The black blood of Venezuela. Why would the West care about Maduro’s oil?
Read the article
According to the diplomat, more than eight million Colombians live on trade with Venezuela. One of the goals of restoring diplomatic relations is to boost trade between the two countries. According to the Chamber of Commerce, this year’s trade could triple compared to last year, when it reached about $400 million.
On August 11, Venezuela and Colombia announced their intention to exchange ambassadors. In addition to the exchange of ambassadors, the process of normalizing mutual relations allows for the complete reopening of the border of more than 2,000 km, which has been completely closed to vehicles since 2015 and will reopen to pedestrians only from the end of 2021. Caracas and Bogota are also counting on Caracas and Bogota, AFP added. restore military relations.
Venezuela severed diplomatic relations with Colombia in 2019 when Venezuelan opposition officials attempted to transport food and medicine supplies from Colombian territory. The government in Caracas described it as a US-backed coup attempt.
A left-wing candidate has won the Colombian presidential election for the first time. Gustavo defeated Petro Hernandez
Read the article
The right-wing president, Ivan Duque, also did not recognize Nicolas Maduro’s re-election and supported the declaration of opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president. However, with the arrival of the new president, Petro, the Venezuelan government wishes to restore relations and promote mutual trade.
About two million Venezuelans live in Colombia, who have taken refuge in the country in recent years due to poor economic conditions in Venezuela and the country’s authoritarian regime. A number of critics of the Venezuelan regime also went to Colombia.
The new Colombian president, Petro, confirmed that “Colombia guarantees the right of asylum and protection”, in response to the statements of the head of the Venezuelan regime, the second man in the ruling Socialist Party, Diosdado Cabello, that Venezuela is working to get Colombia to extradite a number of its citizens who “sinned against their country.” “.
