Caracas: Venezuela and Colombia on Thursday agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations at an ambassadorial level. Embassies will be reopened on August 7 when Columbia‘s leftist president-elect Gustavo Petro takes office in Bogota, reported AFP. The development was confirmed by Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Carlos Faria.
Relations between both the South American nation hit the rock bottom in 2019 after then-Columbian President Ivan Duque did not recognise the reelection of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Duque supported Venezuala’s opposition leader Juan Guaido’s claim to be the president of the country.
On Thursday, Faria and Colombia’s foreign minister-elect Alvaro Leyva in San Cristobal met in San Cristobal. Both the leaders expressed their desire to normalise diplomatic relations between the two nations. They signed a memorandum of understanding in this regard. Faria and Leyva also discussed appointing ambassadors to Bogota and Caracas. The talks were held at the Los Leon Palace.
Notably, the land border between the two countries remained closed between 2019 and 2021. Around 60 countries across the world, including Columbia, recognise Guaido’s interim government. In 2018, the opposition boycotted elections in Venezuela.
Since 2019, Embassies and consulates in both countries were closed. The Venezuelan President had accused Duque of supporting plans to topple him. Meanwhile, Duque claimed that Mudro was backing Colombian rebels.
