The United States asked Colombia on Tuesday to promote democracy and accountability in Venezuela, after Colombian President Gustavo Petro met with his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro, in Caracas.
“Venezuelans deserve the same opportunities that Colombians and other peoples of the region have to democratically elect their leaders,” claimed a State Department spokesman.
(Also read: Petro’s offer to Maduro: the 11 points agreed at the Caracas summit)
Petro was received this Tuesday with honors at the Miraflores presidential palace, where he held his first meeting with Maduro to address various issues that affect the recently reestablished relationship between the two countries.
After this meeting, the US government asked Colombia to work with its partners to promote a “democratic and prosperous” continent, as well as “the accountability of those governments that have broken democratic norms, such as the authoritarian regime of Maduro in Venezuela,” said the spokesman.
Said source also recalled that the Inter-American Human Rights System “has repeatedly pointed out the repeated repression of the Maduro regime and has called for the release of political prisoners, the independence of parties, respect for freedom of expression and other human rights. “.
(Also: Venezuela: what does the opposition think about the rapprochement between Petro and Maduro?)
Precisely, the re-entry of Venezuela to the Inter-American Human Rights System was one of the issues that Petro wanted to address with Maduro, according to the Colombian government.
The spokesman for the US Foreign Ministry reiterated his country’s commitment to “the restoration of democracy and the rule of law” in Venezuela, and reiterated that the only way is the negotiation between Maduro and the opposition.
In that sense, he said that the Joe Biden government “appreciates Colombia’s collaboration towards a political solution in Venezuela.”
“Venezuelan-led negotiations are the only path to credible, free and fair elections that reflect the will of the Venezuelan people in their efforts to revitalize democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights,” the spokesperson said. .
(Keep reading: Diosdado on the meeting between Petro and Maduro: ‘Welcome, president’)
We continue to work with the international community to support the restoration of democracy
Washington has previously pledged to ease sanctions imposed against Caracas if Maduro returns to dialogue with the Venezuelan opposition that was interrupted last year.
Since 2019, the United States has recognized Juan Guaidó as interim president of Venezuela, whose figure has lost weight among the Venezuelan opposition.
Venezuela and Colombia reestablished diplomatic relations last August, after almost four years, with the arrival of Petro to power, which recognizes Maduro as the legitimate president, unlike his predecessor, Iván Duque.
*With information from EFE
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