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Representatives from 20 countries accepted the invitation to attend the so-called “International Conference on Venezuela” in Bogotá. The meeting, promoted by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, was an attempt to unblock the dialogue between the ruling party and the Venezuelan opposition, but in the background Petro seeks to reactivate Caracas’s relations with the world, including its eventual return to the OAS and the withdrawal of US sanctions. We analyze it in this edition of El Debate.
The meeting, which was preceded by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, was also attended by delegations from countries such as Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Mexico, Argentina and Chile; in addition to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.
Some representatives of the Venezuelan opposition met before the summit with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who advocates the “democratic reconstruction of Latin America” and supports a timetable for elections and democratic guarantees for Venezuela.
Despite the fact that this conference has the support of Nicolás Maduro, it seems that his intentions are aimed at lifting the sanctions by the United States against his Government. Even without having started the conference in Bogotá, Maduro set conditions to continue the dialogue with the opposition.
The high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, affirmed that the community block is willing to review the personal sanctions that weigh on Nicolás Maduro.
Meanwhile, the opposition leader Juan Guaidó passed through Bogotá after having crossed the Colombian-Venezuelan border and sought to meet with international delegations that were present at this conference. However, the Colombian government clarified that Guaidó had not been invited to the conference and that he also entered Colombian territory irregularly, because he cannot regularly leave his country.
What does this conference leave about the political situation in Venezuela? Will this initiative be able to guarantee the democratic bases and a schedule for presidential elections in Venezuela? Is the elimination of the sanctions against the Government of Nicolás Maduro the first step to be able to establish a dialogue? We address it in this debate with our guests:
– Eduardo Battistini, former ambassador of the interim Government of Venezuela in Colombia and president of Primero Justicia abroad.
– Freddy Gutiérrez, representative of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) in Venezuela.
