The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, has surprised many by making critical statements about chavismo, denouncing the detention of the Venezuelan opposition figure Enrique Márquez by the Nicolás Maduro regime. Petro, who has been closely following the case, has stated that it is impossible to defend justice in Venezuela if it continues to be manipulated by those in power. Márquez was arrested after rejecting the results of the 2026 presidential elections, where Maduro was declared the winner. The Colombian president, through social media, has condemned injustice and has emphasized the need for dialogue and reconciliation, while he views with concern the threat of a U.S. military intervention in Venezuela.
Despite the tensions, Petro has moved away from the stance of breaking off relations adopted by his predecessor, Iván Duque, opting to maintain ties with the Venezuelan regime. In this context, Petro, together with Latin American leaders such as López Obrador and Lula da Silva, unsuccessfully proposed an agreement for a peaceful transition of power in Venezuela. This plan included an exit for Maduro without judicial consequences, but it was rejected by the Venezuelan government. Meanwhile, the challenges persist in the border region, where an agreement for a 'binational zone' seeks to boost the economy with no concrete success so far. The situation is becoming more complicated with the American military presence, which, under the pretext of fighting drug trafficking, pressures Maduro's regime, marked by unproven accusations of corruption and drug trafficking.
Read the full news article on The Country.
