Colombian President aspires to have international sanctions against Venezuela lifted

The President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, has confirmed the convening for next Tuesday, April 25, of an international summit with which he wants to relaunch the dialogue between the Venezuelan government and opposition to seek “more democracy” and “zero sanctions”.

Petro, who has recomposed relations with Venezuela since his arrival to power, proposed the organization of a new forum in March to unblock negotiations regarding the neighboring country and bring together other countries with influence in this crisis.

During a visit to New York, the Colombian president made the meeting official, assuming that representatives of the US Administration, “many” Latin American countries, foreign ministers of European governments, and a representation of the EU would be present.

Petro aspires to “unlock” the negotiations that started in 2022 in Mexico with a clear “objective”: “no sanctions and much more democracy”.

“More democracy, zero sanctions, is the objective of the conference in Bogota,” he emphasized in statements to the media.

The Colombian president, who has clarified that he does not want to “interfere” in the “internal political discussion” of Venezuela, has defended “the path of dialogue” and “that it be what the Venezuelan people, freely, without pressure, decide about their immediate future”.

He has also proposed that Nicolás Maduro’s government be reintegrated into the Inter-American Human Rights System.

OPINIONS IN VENEZUELA

Maduro’s Executive has recognized Petro’s “efforts”, hoping that “strategies and commitments will be addressed next week to favor political dialogue among Venezuelans, respecting the principles of self-determination and sovereignty”.

However, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry has made clear in a statement that “progress in the dialogue” will only be possible when the “illegal” international sanctions and economic “blockades”, which it considers contrary to the norms and principles that regulate the relations between States, have been “annulled”.

On the other hand, the opposition views the Bogota meeting apparently with suspicion, as several of its members already pointed out after learning of Petro’s initial plans.

After the formal convening of the forum, opposition leader Juan Guaidó warned on Twitter that “for there to be zero sanctions”, as the president of Colombia has proposed, “one hundred percent democracy” is necessary.

“That we don’t have it is the cause of sanctions. Democracy is built with concrete deeds, not words, he stressed.