The meeting between presidents Joe Biden and Iván Duque this Thursday at the White House will not be clouded by Washington’s recent approaches to the Nicolás Maduro regime. At least that is what senior advisers of the Democratic administration think that they spoke with a group of media, including EL TIEMPO.
(Read here: What will the meeting between Iván Duque and Joe Biden be like? What will they talk about?)
According to one of the officials, the meeting between the two leaders, who have known each other for a long time, will be “excellent” and will touch on a whole series of issues on the common agenda that includes migration, drug trafficking, the environment, electoral security, democracy and many others. .
The official acknowledged the criticism made by Duque prior to his arrival in Washington when he said that the United States should reconsider its rapprochement with the Maduro regime.
“President Duque’s statements were very measured and he is entitled to his opinion, but I do not agree that (the approaches) have soured the meeting. We have been in contact with the president, with Ambassador Pinzón and I think they will have an excellent conversation,” the official said.
There was no quid pro quo (one thing for another) with Maduro to release the two Americans… We made a visit and as a sign of our gesture, they released two prisoners
The senior officials also said they understand and agree that this is a sensitive issue for the country given the threat posed by Venezuela.where illegal criminal groups take refuge.
But, in turn, they tried to explain the context behind the trip to Caracas this weekend by Juan González, White House National Security Adviser for the Western Hemisphere.
According to one of the officials, the central objectives of that meeting were to secure the release of detained Americans and push for the resumption of negotiations between the regime and the opposition in Mexico.
“There was no quid pro quo (one thing for another) with Maduro to release the two Americans… We made a visit and as a sign of our gesture, they released two prisoners. Neither the visit nor the release is linked to the idea that Venezuelan oil could reach the United States.”
(In other news: Venezuela breaks into Biden’s agenda with Duque)
According to this official, the recent crisis unleashed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine changed perspectives and opened a window of opportunity to seek liberation and restart those negotiations, which had been stalled.
He also clarified that no promise was made to the regime and that no decision has been made on the oil issue. But what they did offer was a “lifting of international pressure” as long as there is concrete and irreversible progress that leads to the restoration of constitutional order in Venezuela.
The official also specified that the efforts had been going on for months behind the scenes and that the appointment of Duque and Biden simply coincided with the weekend meeting with Maduro.
And he mentioned another point that he emphasized: that the United States will hold meetings with democratic or non-democratic leaders in order to advance its regional security interests.
More on the visit, the official said that Biden was clear that Colombia was the cornerstone of the region and an invaluable ally for the United States.
He also highlighted President Duque’s leadership on environmental and migration issues, not only at the regional level but globally.
SERGIO GOMEZ MASERI
TIME CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON
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