Bogotá.- The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, stated this Thursday that Nicolás Maduro should not give orders to the Colombian Army, in response to a call from the Venezuelan ruler for the military of the two countries to protect sovereignty.
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Petro explained that the relationship between the two countries can only be built on mutual respect. “As long as that doesn’t happen, no one can give orders to another Army. I cannot order the Venezuelan Army anything, nor can they give orders to the Colombian Army”, Petro remarked. On Wednesday, Maduro stated that the collaboration between the militaries of both countries is essential to guarantee peace and stability in the region, amid tension with the United States due to its air-naval deployment in the waters of the Caribbean Sea under the pretext of combating drug trafficking and threats of a military operation against the Maduro government. “I make my call, ratified with the deep love of a great Colombian that I feel, to the people of Colombia, to its social movements, to its political forces, to the military of Colombia that I know very well; I call them to the perfect union with Venezuela so that no one dares to touch the sovereignty of our countries,” Maduro affirmed in a speech broadcast on national television. Likewise, Petro asserted today that only through a constituent assembly that allows for joint work between countries —including Colombia and Venezuela— will it be possible for a head of state to give orders to military personnel from other nations. “The only way for the nations to come together again (Panama, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela) is with the constituent power and popular sovereignty. As long as that doesn’t happen, no one can give orders to the other Army,” Petro affirmed. Likewise, he said that “the only binational armed organization, made up of Venezuelans and Colombians, is called ELN”, in reference to the guerrilla group of the National Liberation Army. Petro described the ELN as an “enemy of Colombia, Venezuela, and enemy of Latin America”, and assured that its violent actions, especially in regions like Catatumbo, bordering Venezuela, have had a direct impact on the increase in homicides. The Colombian government began peace talks with the ELN in November 2022, but they were suspended in August 2024 after the expiration of a bilateral ceasefire.
