Blinken and Duque, committed to “restoring democracy” in Venezuela

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and the President of Colombia, Iván Duque, expressed their commitment to “restore democracy and the rule of law” in Venezuela, during a telephone conversation reported Tuesday by the US Foreign Ministry.

Both spoke of “Colombia’s efforts to promote democracy in the region”, and during the conversation, which took place on Monday, Blinken thanked the Duque government’s decision to grant temporary protection status to the more than 1.7 million Venezuelans in his country, according to the State Department spokesman, Ned Price, in a statement.

On February 8, Duque announced this measure for Venezuelans in Colombia, together with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, who called it a “historic gesture”.

During the call, Blinken also promised to continue cooperation on rural development, security, and anti-drug issues “to support peace in Colombia”.

The two sides also discussed ways to renew their focus on climate change, human rights protection, and regional economic recovery in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic.

Blinken had already spoken with his Colombian counterpart, Claudia Blum, on January 29, nine days after Democrat Joe Biden assumed the US presidency. He addressed issues such as the reactivation of the economy, the defense of democracy, and strategies against drug trafficking and transnational crime.

Source: efe