Venezuela and Colombia will strengthen security strategies between the two countries, as reported jointly by the defense ministers of both countries, Venezuela’s Vladimir Padrino and Colombia’s Iván Velásquez, after a meeting that took place on Thursday at the Ministry’s headquarters. of Popular Power in Caracas.
According to the statement, it was decided to “increase the presence of the Armed Forces at informal crossings along the common border, in coordinated work and the fight against smuggling,” as well as “to establish a direct communication channel to exchange, inform and strengthen interaction in the field of intelligence” between the armies of both countries.
The text indicates that they will continue with the meetings between the military units of both nations, in the border areas, to “strengthen the fight and operational coordination of all existing threats and risk factors, especially to structured transnational organized crime groups.”
At the end of the meeting, the Colombian minister described as “fruitful” the meeting in which, according to the official, they reviewed “the actions that have been developed from Venezuela” regarding transnational crime, illegal armed organizations that cross the border and the criminal groups that affect the security of the two nations.
Likewise, he pointed out that the actions that have been carried out with the Venezuelan armed forces on the exchange of information and the improvement of this process were discussed, and on “how to carry out combined operations so that the fight against the crime at the border.
Velásquez highlighted a “better understanding” between nations and stressed that the purpose is to “confront criminal finances with the greatest possible forcefulness.”
For this purpose, Minister Velásquez confirmed the delivery, by the Colombian Navy, of three boats that remained in the hands of Venezuela, since 2020. Likewise, the delivery of three Venezuelan rifles that were in the possession of Colombian authorities.
For his part, Padrino maintained that “These meetings are generating trust” and highlighted the “advances” of both military and police forces.
He also spoke of Venezuela’s purpose in “liberating its territory from terrorists and armed groups” and praised “the efforts” of President Gustavo Petro and his full peace policy.
The first meeting between the ministers took place in September 2022, near the border with Norte de Santander, in command of the Bolivarian National Guard in the state of Táchira. After the second meeting, Velásquez invited Padrino to Bogotá.
After the election of the Colombian left-wing president, in 2022, Colombia and Venezuela they restored their relationsafter, in 2015, after a diplomatic crisis with the Colombian government, Maduro ordered to close the passage of vehicles on the border with Colombia and three years later, he expelled consular officials.
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