Petro and Maduro discussed the return of Venezuela to the CAN

The return of Venezuela to the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) was one of the topics discussed this Tuesday afternoon by the presidents Gustavo Petro and Nicolas Maduro in a bilateral meeting, the first between the two, held in Caracas.

(See: Ultra Air aims at international flights and Venezuela would be a destination).

“We have talked about the strengthening of the Andean Community, the platform that allowed the mild industrialization of our countries”, said the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, who invited the other members of the integration bloc (Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Chile) to accept the return of Venezuela as a full member of the institution.

On this subject, Nicolás Maduro said that “it’s good news” for South America and for the same integration block.

Likewise, the leaders emphasized the “new era” of the diplomatic, commercial and economic relations of both nations. And Petro anticipated a future meeting with businessmen from both countries, to be held soon in Cartagena.

(See: Venezuelan border: Petro asked to close trails to promote trade).

“We have talked extensively about trade relations, about economic relations and about the new steps towards a total and assured opening of the border between Colombia and Venezuela (…) We have talked about security and its operation”, explained Nicolás Maduro for his part.

The Venezuelan president also specified that the issue of cooperation between Monómeros, Pequiven and “all the work” on the issue of fertilizers and, in multilateralism, he added that they discussed the strengthening of CELAC.

During his visit to Caracas, President Petro also asked his Venezuelan counterpart to consider Venezuela’s return to Inter-American Human Rights System, something to which Maduro was “receptive”.

(See: Colombian government studies ‘shielding’ trade agreements with Venezuela).

“Latin America can be a beacon of democracy (…) It is our turn and to that extent, integrate ourselves, link ourselves to the channels of democracy and link ourselves to the people, which without it. That is why our request to our common people, to join us in this process that begins”, Petro said when referring to the request about the return.

The Colombian president announced that “they will retake intelligence relations” to “be able to hit not so much the drug trafficking worker, but the owners of capital”.

(See: Reopening of the Colombia – Venezuela border: balance of the first month).

In environmental Matter, Petro announced that he had talked with Maduro about the amazon rainforest protection and for Latin America to bring a common voice on this issue to the next COP 27 summit to be held in Egypt from November 6. In addition, he asked Brazil “join” this cause.

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