On Tuesday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced that the central focus of an upcoming high-level bilateral meeting with Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez—scheduled for April 24 in Caracas—will be security along the shared border, with particular emphasis on the Catatumbo region.
During a Cabinet meeting, President Petro instructed his Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez to define the composition of the delegation “with an emphasis on the defense sector, mainly made up of military and police authorities, with the purpose of structuring a joint border security plan.”
“The issue is security and a joint plan,” said President Petro, adding that he has ordered progress toward direct coordination with Venezuelan security forces as has been done on previous occasions.
He also highlighted the importance of strengthening bilateral intelligence, noting that it is essential to avoid harm to civilians during military operations: “If there is no intelligence, bombs fall in the wrong places; if intelligence guides the shots, without it, they end up killing people, as has already happened in Colombia.”
President Petro further emphasized that the meeting is part of a broader effort to reactivate the bilateral agenda between Venezuela and Colombia, where border security is a priority, alongside trade and energy cooperation. Diplomatic relations between the neighboring South American nations were restored in August 2022 following the election of President Petro.
It also noted that Bogotá seeks to advance a coordinated response to violence in Catatumbo, Colombia—a region plagued by armed conflict and illicit economies—while laying the groundwork for a joint strategy to stabilize the border and protect local communities.
On March 13, the acting Venezuelan president held talks with a Colombian ministerial delegation to address various issues, including security, energy, trade, and tourism.
Venezuela Resumes Gas Exports to Colombia; Petro Proposes Lifting Venezuela’s MERCOSUR Suspension
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
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