Colombia’s president announces role as mediator to achieve 'political peace' in Venezuela

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced Wednesday that he is taking on the role of a mediator between the Venezuelan government and opposition to achieve "political peace" ahead of presidential elections on July 28.

"Yesterday I met with (Venezuelan) President (Nicolas) Maduro and today with groups of the Venezuelan opposition with the perspective of building political peace," Petro said on his X account.

Petro held a three-hour meeting with Maduro on Tuesday at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, and on Wednesday, he announced that he had met with representatives of the country's opposition.

"I have spoken with President Maduro. I have made a proposal to him, and with groups of the opposition, perhaps the most important at this moment, to ensure that this country can have political peace," Petro said as he concluded a two-day visit to the country.

He did not say which opposition figures he met with, but the team of the most visible opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, said she did not speak to Petro.

Although Petro is close to Maduro, with whom he has already met personally in Venezuela six times since taking office in August 2022, relations between the two countries became strained earlier this week when the Colombian head of state described Machado's disqualification, which prevents her from competing in the presidential elections, as an "anti-democratic coup.”

Machado, who was elected in primaries as the main presidential candidate of the opposition, named historian Corina Yoris as her successor, who was also unable to register before the National Electoral Council despite having no known impediments.

Petro’s statement did not sit well with Maduro's government, which described it as “gross interference” in the country's political process.