Colombia believes it is urgent to maintain “political dialogue” to resolve the “complex” situation in Venezuela

Colombian ambassador in Washington, Daniel García-Peña, considers it important to maintain the “political dialogue” in Venezuela to Finding a way out of the crisis of the South American country, reaffirming that his government continues to work hand in hand with Brazil and other regional partners, such as Mexico, to keep that path active.

Colombia has the support of the United States in these efforts, he stressed, referring to the mediations with the authorities and the opposition in Venezuela following the controversial election results of July 28.

“Obviously, we would all like to see quicker results, but we know very well that the complex situation, which has been going on for years, cannot be resolved overnight,” said Ambassador García-Peña in statements to the press at the diplomatic headquarters in Washington.

“Persistence, diplomacy and the search for political dialogue so that Venezuelans can resolve their situation continue to be the subject of ongoing work between Colombia and Brazil and which has the support of the United States,” he added.

The Colombian ambassador also considered that it is important for his country to enjoy credibility among the leaders of the Venezuelan opposition due to the role it has played in this whole “complex” process.

“What is most important to me and what is very encouraging is that the Venezuelan opposition continues to appreciate the role that President Gustavo Petro has played” in these mediations, he added.

Reaction to US drug report

The ambassador said that relations with the United States are going through “a good moment” and said he sees the American government’s opinion on the fight against drugs during the administration of President Petro, who recently completed two years at the head of the Colombian executive branch, as positive.

“We see a much more positive language than what was seen in other years, in relation to recognizing the integral dimension of the fight against drugs with Colombia,” said García-Peña.

He also stressed the importance of strategic cooperation with the United States in the fight not only against cocaine trafficking – where it has stood out for a record number of seizures – but also for other forms of combating money laundering and organized crime.

“It is worth reaffirming the importance that Colombia has in the fight against drugs, and the importance that the relationship with Colombia has in other issues, such as migration with Venezuela, with a very robust relationship. All of these are signs of how effectively the assistance and help of the United States is,” said the diplomat.

The White House on Sunday released its Memorandum on the Presidential Determination on Major Drug Transit Countries or Major Illicit Drug Production Countries for Fiscal Year 2025.

He official report The Biden administration’s statement said that Colombia “is a strong partner and continues to work closely with the United States to reduce cocaine production, conduct drug trafficking interdiction operations, and dismantle criminal organizations involved in cocaine trafficking.”

The United States considers its cooperation with Colombia to be successful, with tangible results, particularly in the seizure of drug shipments.

“U.S. assistance has led to increased interdictions, with the Colombian National Police seizing more than 841 metric tons of pure cocaine and cocaine base in 2023, a 10% increase over the previous year,” according to the Biden administration.

For the US, it is important to highlight the progress agreed upon in the high-level bilateral meetings held in May of this year between the two countries that “demonstrate our renewed bilateral commitment to a holistic approach to address cocaine production and trafficking, while providing security, justice and legal economic opportunities to vulnerable rural populations in Colombia,” according to Washington.

A regional work in progress

Ambassador Daniel García-Peña indicated that addressing the issue of fight against drugs This means expanding ties of cooperation with other countries where the problem has taken on new heights.

The case of Ecuador, which entered into a deep security crisis last year due to the issue of drug trafficking, is one of the examples, and a work program has been opened with that country, also financed by the United States, to address the situation and jointly combat this crime.

In the document, the United States provides a list of countries in the region and around the world where drug trafficking is gaining strength, according to Washington.

It includes Afghanistan, the Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Burma, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru and Venezuela as drug production and route sites.

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