The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, assured this Friday that the peace dialogue held by delegations of the Colombian government and the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN) are on the right track.
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“Today we can say that we are cooperating widely in the achievement of total peace for Colombia and that the negotiation efforts are well underway,” said the president at an act of signing economic agreements in Caracas, which was attended by the minister Colombian Minister of Commerce, Germán Umaña.
Maduro reiterated that Venezuela, as a guarantor of the peace negotiations, “will give everything and more to build peace” in Colombia.
Last November, representatives of the guerrillas and the Colombian Executive resumed a negotiation process that had been stalled since 2019 and which now has the impetus of the president of the Andean country, Gustavo Petro.
In a first round of talks, held in Caracas, the parties signed partial agreements that include the invitation to several countries as overseers of the process and some humanitarian relief in territories especially affected by the armed conflict.
The government and the guerrillas also agreed to resume negotiations this month in Mexico, also the guarantor of the process, to address, among other issues, the possibility of declaring a bilateral ceasefire while the talks are taking place.
economic agreements
Maduro celebrated that since the restart of relations with Colombia, steps have been taken in the reopening of the border and economic agreements. “Today we can say that we have the border wide open, merchandise circulating, improving trade,” he said.
The president insisted that the business sectors have become closer and for this reason they have begun to “raise their eyes” on future projects, for what he described as a powerful process.
In the economic field “we have to think big,” Maduro said, noting that the creation of a zone of great investment between Norte de Santander and the state of Táchira is being planned.
EFE With information from ANA RODRÍGUEZ BRAZÓN
WEATHER CORRESPONDENT
CARACAS
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