Venezuela, Colombia appoint ambassadors, re-establish diplomatic ties

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
12 Aug 2022 09:22
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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Colombian President Gustavo Petro exchange ambassadors awaiting accreditation as a first step to re-establishing ties between the two countries.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro

Following Gustavo Petro's inauguration as President of Colombia on August 7, which marked the beginning of the first leftist administration in the history of the Colombian nation, Venezuela and Colombia appointed Thursday new ambassadors to each other's countries.

The appointment comes as a first step in the process of re-establishing ties between the two countries, as Petro sought to do good on his campaign promises of reversing his predecessor's decision to sever ties with Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced from Caracas that former Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia had requested his accreditation from the Colombian government. Confident that Felix will receive accreditation, Maduro said he "will soon be in Bogota."

"In response to the Venezuelan government, I have appointed an ambassador who will (also) be tasked with normalizing diplomatic relations between the two countries," Petro similarly stated in a video. Former senator Armando Benedetti is set to become Colombian ambassador to Caracas, the Colombian President added.

Right-wing leader and former Colombian President Ivan Duque, alongside the US and the EU, had refused in 2019 to acknowledge or recognize Maduro's re-election. The lot went further than rejecting Maduro, as they declared their support for Juan Guaido, a right-wing candidate during the Venezuelan elections who claimed to have become interim President of Venezuela.

On the other hand, following the Colombian elections, Maduro highlighted during a televised statement that "we will continue step by step and at a safe pace to advance toward the restoration and reconstruction of political, diplomatic, and commercial relations."

The more than 2,000-kilometer border between the two countries will be fully reopened as part of the diplomatic reproaching process, in addition to the exchanging of ambassadors. The border has been largely closed to vehicles since 2015, though it has been open to pedestrians since late last year.