Petro asked Trump to “accept a meeting with the Venezuelans” and offered Cartagena a democratic dialogue

The Colombian president spoke about the conversation between the United States and Venezuela, and proposed a peaceful alternative to resolve the political conflict in Caracas. – Credit Reuters/The Presidency

President Gustavo Petro proposed that Cartagena host a meeting between the various political sectors of Venezuela, in response to the confirmation of a phone conversation between United States President Donald Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The initiative was presented by the President in his official message

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With this message, the Head of State stressed that the solution to the Venezuelan political crisis must pass through a process of internal dialogue, with guarantees and without external restrictions. The Cartagena offer was presented as an alternative to facilitate that meeting, as it was considered an appropriate space for formal talks between political delegations.

Pietro also explained that in his opinion, The only viable solution for Venezuela is for Venezuelans themselves to dialogue among themselves and solve their problems.He warned that any external intervention would only complicate the situation.

At the same time, he referred to the Colombian experience in temporary joint governance to reduce violence and organize free elections, pointing out that his proposal seeks to put that experience on the table as a reference for negotiations in Venezuela.

Petro stressed that the only viable solution for Venezuela is for Venezuelans to engage in dialogue among themselves, using the Colombian experience as a reference. – Credit @petrogustavo/X

Petro’s message came after Donald Trump’s statements from Air Force One, where he confirmed that he had recently held a phone conversation with Nicolas Maduro. The US President avoided providing details and pointed out that “It was a phone call… I can’t say it went good or bad.“.

Confirmation of this contact comes amid tensions between Washington and Caracas. Journalists also consulted Trump on the decision to consider Venezuelan airspace closed, an instruction that raised speculation about the possibility of increased confrontation between the two governments. Confronted with this, Trump responded: “Don’t give him any explanation.”

In previous days, Petro had already expressed her concerns about the measure announced by Trump regarding Venezuelan airspace. In another letter published in X, the Colombian president raised a question about its legal validity:

“I want to know, under what rule of international law can a head of state close the airspace to another state? (…) If this does not exist (…) then the concept of national sovereignty and the concept of “international law” are over. I am speaking as President of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Republic of Colombia.”

Petro questions the legality of a foreign president closing another country’s airspace and warns against ICAO’s lack of action in this case. – Credit @petrogustavo/X

The Colombian President requested clarification from international organizations, especially the International Civil Aviation Organization, regarding the regulatory limits governing decisions of this type.

While the details of the call were known, the Venezuelan government took parallel positions in different scenarios. Maduro publicly confirmed that Venezuela would have “the best Christmas,” but he also issued a letter addressed to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), in which he asked for support in the face of what he described as “aggression” by the United States.

The document, read by Vice President Delcy Rodriguez during the OPEC+ ministerial meeting, said Washington would seek to “seize” Venezuela’s oil reserves through military actions in the Caribbean Sea. Furthermore, it was pointed out that any intervention may affect the stability of the international energy market.

In the United States, Senator Markwayne Mullen announced this CNN “From Maduro”We gave Maduro a chance to leave. “We told him that he could go to Russia or that he could go to another country,” and that he could have been suggested to travel to Russia or another country. The White House did not expand on these statements during the day.

Caracas denounced before OPEC the possible measures taken by the United States regarding its oil reserves, while Washington continues its military operations in the region, which creates tension between the two countries. – Infobae Colombia Credit

With his offer to Cartagena, President Petro stressed that dialogue between Venezuelan sectors must take place without external interference and with the aim of strengthening democratic institutions. His message highlights the need for a neutral space that allows representatives with different positions to meet, in a context in which statements by the United States and Venezuela contribute to increasing bilateral tensions.

The proposal was left open as an option to facilitate political efforts aimed at addressing the Venezuelan situation amid an international scenario characterized by uncertainty.