Venezuelan Foreign Minister Carlos Faría along with his incoming Colombian counterpart Álvaro Leyva Durán reaffirmed the two nations’ commitment to gradually reopen borders and “immediately” reappoint ambassadors and other diplomatic and consular officials as soon as Colombian President-elect Gustavo Petro takes charge on August 7.
In a joint statement following their meeting at the border town of San Cristóbal on Thursday, the duo agreed to honour their countries’ “historical bond” by “making joint efforts to ensure security and peace” along their shared porous borders and to “supporting dialogue in favour of building paths of peace, respect and mutual understanding, with full recognition of our complementary capabilities.”
Levya hailed Thursday’s talks as the “first historic meeting” between the two countries. The pair also took note of the strong trade relations that existed between Caracas and Bogotá before a deterioration in bilateral ties in 2019, and stressed that this is “the objective for which we must work at this moment.”
#EnTáchira | Los Cancilleres de Venezuela @Fariacrt y de Colombia @AlvaroLeyva expresaron su voluntad de avanzar en una agenda de trabajo para la normalización gradual de las relaciones binacionales a partir del #7Ago, con el nombramiento de embajadores en Caracas y Bogotá. pic.twitter.com/yntTUV9ngy
— Cancillería Venezuela 🇻🇪 (@CancilleriaVE) July 28, 2022
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro celebrated the “successful meeting,” in which the diplomats discussed 14 topics of binational interest. He also thanked his incoming Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro for his efforts to mend ties.
Following his electoral victory last month, Petro vowed to engage with Venezuela to reopen borders that were closed in 2019, pledging to “restore the full exercise of human rights” at their 2200-kilometre border. Petro stressed that removing border restrictions would not only benefit border communities but also guarantee a safe passage for Venezuelan migrants, who often pay hefty sums to armed gangs to illegally enter Colombia.
In fact, Maduro called Petro soon after his victory and expressed hope about the “construction of a renewed stage of relations,” rooted in “solidarity, cooperation and peace of brother peoples.”
#EnVivo 📹 | "Ha sido una reunión exitosa, extraordinaria", subrayó el Mandatario @NicolasMaduro al detallar que el diálogo entre cancilleres de Colombia y Venezuela abordó 14 temas de interés binacional pic.twitter.com/6uuDqotrxR
— Prensa Presidencial (@PresidencialVen) July 29, 2022
The flow of refugees to Colombia has often been a thorny issue in bilateral ties, particularly as the economic and security situation in Venezuela continued to deteriorate.
Last February, however, the Duque administration made a landmark decision to offer 10-year-long residence permits to 1.7 million Venezuelan asylum seekers.
Yesterday’s talks also saw the two sides restoring formal diplomatic ties, after consulates and direct flights between Caracas and Bogotá were suspended three years ago. To this end, Petro’s appointee for leading the re-establishment of consular ties with Venezuela, Armando Benedetti, also participated in yesterday’s negotiations.
La reunión entre el Canciller designado por el Presidente de Colombia @petrogustavo, Álvaro Leyva y el Canciller de Venezuela, Carlos Faría, fue exitosa y virtuosa, de unión en el espíritu de Bolívar. El futuro que viene será mejor, de reencuentro de nuestros países. pic.twitter.com/lWtwHNBmmS
— Nicolás Maduro (@NicolasMaduro) July 29, 2022
Relations between Maduro and outgoing Colombian President Iván Duque took a significant turn for the worse in 2019, with the two repeatedly levelling retaliatory accusations at each other for orchestrating cross-border instability.
Under Iván Duque, Colombia has been part of a group of around 60 countries, led by the United States, who refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of Nicolás Maduro’s 2018 re-election, have condemned him as a dictator, and recognise opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the “legitimate” leader of the country.
Duque has also lambasted Maduro for backing rebel militias and armed assailants—the National Liberation Army (ELN) and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)—along their forested border, saying it has exacerbated insecurity and caused “massive and intolerable” destruction. In fact, Colombian police have even claimed that a former guerilla in hiding in Venezuela has placed a bounty of $1.5 million for the Colombian leader’s assassination.
1/3 El restablecimiento de las relaciones entre Colombia y Venezuela, es un hecho. Hoy recibimos en San Cristóbal al nuevo canciller de Colombia, @AlvaroLeyva, designado por el Pdte @petrogustavo, para avanzar en el proceso de consolidación de la hermandad entre nuestros pueblos. pic.twitter.com/NDlGm7FahR
— Carlos Faria (@Fariacrt) July 28, 2022
Maduro, on the other hand, has repeatedly accused Colombia of attempting to overthrow his government and even assassinate him with the support of the United States.
Maduro formally broke off ties with Bogotá following Guaidó’s bid to bring humanitarian aid across the border in 2019, which he denounced as an invasion attempt.
In a statement earlier this month, President Maduro alleged “terrorist threats against the Venezuelan electrical system, personalities, political and military leaders from the dying government of Iván Duque in Colombia.” He accused his counterpart Duque of planning to seek “revenge” and cautioned the country’s armed forces to keep their “guard up high.”
El nuevo presidente electo de Colombia Gustavo Petro, abrió las puertas al Diálogo entre Colombia y Venezuela para encaminar al restablecimiento de las relaciones y los vínculos diplomáticos, dado la ruptura de las relaciones diplomáticas en 2019. pic.twitter.com/zDyzEWL1UU
— Politíca Exterior República de Colombia 🇨🇴 (@politcolombia_) July 29, 2022
Keeping these enduring tensions in mind, Petro’s election has been welcomed in Caracas for opening a “new panorama” in bilateral cooperation.
With Petro pushing for a ceasefire agreement with the ELN and pursuing revived ties with the neighbouring country, yesterday’s events may open a new page in Colombia-Venezuela relations.