Since the official reestablishment of relations between Colombia and Venezuela, on August 29, 2022, the road has not been fast and the task is just beginning after the fracture was imminent in 2015 and definitive in 2019.
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With the arrival in Caracas of Ambassador Armando Benedetti, reality began to change and progress was also made in the implementation of the diplomatic headquarters: embassy, consulate and residence of the diplomatic representation in conditions of abandonmentespecially at the Chacaito consulate in the capital.
EL TIEMPO learned exclusively that February would be the date on which the Caracas consulate was finally opened to serve the Colombian population, which is estimated to be around 4,000,000 people. For that mission she was appointed Fulvia Benavides as the Colombian consul in Caracas, an appointment that occurred in November, but her arrival has not yet been confirmed.
Along with Benavides will be Hans de Francesco, who will take over as first secretary, and Natalia Herrera, who will have the position of third secretary, being the first mission that Herrera has assumed.
In that consulate -of the 15 that existed in Venezuela- 16 officials work, but for the moment these three have been appointed, recalled the source who spoke with this newspaper, indicating that this is due to the fact that in the government of President Iván Duque “he thought that relations would not be restored” and “the charges were assigned to other countries.”
#In pictures || In contrast to the attacks on the consular headquarters of Venezuela in Colombia, the Foreign Minister @jaarreaza He demonstrated with images the good condition of the Consulate and the Embassy of Colombia in Caracas. pic.twitter.com/pVFpKhS1Gk
— Vzla Vice Presidency (@ViceVenezuela) July 28, 2020
In other words, the Colombian foreign service must open new vacancies for the Venezuelan case and This requires more resources, being one of the many obstacles that have arisen in the resumption of relations.
On various occasions, in conversation with the press, Ambassador Benedetti has asked that “please” insist on the importance of caring for Colombians in the neighboring country and for this it is necessary to designate the officials but also to adapt the facilities and structures .
For example, the Caracas consulate deteriorated in such a way that it is not yet possible to install the diplomatic representation, but the arrangements also require a budget, the source reminded this newspaper.
The embassy has begun operations: about three officials are in it. The most recent appointments made known by Benedetti through her networks, which are Lorena Arboleda, Minister of Foreign Relations and second in command of the embassy. She is accompanied by Germán Castañeda, first secretary of foreign relations, and David Mora, third secretary. There is also Hollman Calvo, diplomatic mission assistant.
Today a new member arrives to our working group at the Colombian Embassy in Venezuela. We installed David Alejandro Mora, who came to join us as Third Secretary of Foreign Relations. Welcome! pic.twitter.com/Aa4m6yTrRb
— Armando Benedetti (@AABenedetti) January 9, 2023
The source revealed that Colombians have gone to the embassy to request consular procedures, and that a good number of citizens who need passports, IDs and other documents are received daily, but “unfortunately” they cannot be helped, other than explaining waiting for the consulates to open.
In principle, before the end of 2022, the promise was made to open consular representation in Caracas, Zulia, Táchira and Puerto Ordaz, but it has been impossible. This causes concern among officials, because in addition to procedures and attention, there is a population that is not being included, such as Colombians imprisoned in Venezuela.
The source revealed that sThere were about 1,500 Colombian prisoners in Venezuelan jails, and although work is being done to speed up the processeswithout consular representation it becomes more complicated.
Through organizations that defend the prison population, EL TIEMPO learned that the prison with the largest number of Colombian prisoners is the Santa Ana prison in San Cristóbal.
“There are many Colombians,” Carolina Girón, from the Venezuelan Prison Observatory, told this newspaper. Girón added that it is difficult to obtain these figures, especially due to the fear of the inmates and because the Ministry of Penitentiary Affairs does not provide information.
It was also learned that a representative from Colombia went to the Santa Ana prison and was not attended to by the authorities.
On January 10, Benedetti published on his Twitter account that, since the restart of relations, work has been done on judicial cooperation and that so far 24 requests have been processed in this matter.
Since relations between Colombia and Venezuela were reestablished, the Embassy has worked for judicial cooperation, with a total of 24 requests for assistance sent between the authorities of both countries.
— Armando Benedetti (@AABenedetti) January 10, 2023
It was learned, on the other hand, that among those twenty requests there are deaths, stolen vehicles, disappearances and others.
“At the Embassy we work for the proper implementation of the Agreement on Cooperation and Judicial Assistance in Criminal Matters of 1998. Judicial cooperation is essential to advance bilaterally in investigations, processes and legal proceedings,” the ambassador wrote on his Twitter account.
ANA MARIA RODRIGUEZ BRAZON
WEATHER CORRESPONDENT
CARACAS
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