Colombia, Venezuela poised to restore diplomatic relations

BOGOTA, Colombia

Colombia and Venezuela will reestablish relations after years of tensions, the foreign ministers of the two countries announced Thursday.

Colombia’s Minister-Designate of Foreign Affairs Alvaro Leyva met with his Venezuelan counterpart Carlos Faria in the Venezuelan state of Tachira.

They announced in a joint declaration that as of Aug. 7, when Colombia’s newly elected President Gustavo Petro takes office, ambassadors will be appointed and consulates will reopen.

The two countries “ratified their willingness to consolidate the bonds of friendship and cooperation, reviewing all issues of binational interest for the benefit of the happiness of our people,” said Leyva, reading from the joint statement which he and Faria signed.

The governments will “boost security and peace” on their shared border, according to the statement.

Petro announced during his presidential campaign that his government would seek to reestablish channels of communication with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a move that represented a turning point in the countries’ bilateral relations.

Since President Ivan Duque took office in 2018, Colombia had supported Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido and his efforts to oust Maduro, who broke diplomatic relations with the neighboring country and ordered the departure of diplomats from its territory.

The border between the two countries was closed in 2019 after the Venezuelan government blocked the Simon Bolivar international bridge.

Hours after winning the election, Petro announced that he had spoken with the Maduro government and said he hoped to restore relations with Venezuela.