Colombia denies claims it supports plan of Maduro stepping down

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Cancillería de Colombia
Today 10:54

Colombia denies supporting a plan for Maduro’s exit, reaffirming respect for Venezuela’s sovereignty amid media reports.

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, left, and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro shake hands as they pose for photos at the Miraflores presidential palace, in Caracas, Venezuela, on April 9, 2024 (AP)

The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected recent media reports suggesting that Bogota supports a plan for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down in favor of a transitional government.

“The information circulating in the past few hours in the media regarding an alleged Colombian support for a plan for a negotiated exit of Nicolas Maduro from power does not correspond to what Minister Villavicencio Mapy expressed in the interview,” the Ministry said in a statement.

“The government of Colombia respects international law, does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, and upholds the sovereignty of the brotherly nation of Venezuela. Colombia and Venezuela maintain a historical relationship of respect, which cannot be affected by decontextualized information published in the media," it added.

Bloomberg claims Bogota supports Maduro's ousting

The clarification comes after Colombian Foreign Affairs Minister Yolanda Villavicencio Mapy reportedly told media that Bogota would prefer a negotiated solution over a potential US military intervention. Villavicencio’s comments were interpreted by Bloomberg as signaling Colombia’s preference for a path allowing Maduro to hand over power to a transitional government tasked with organizing new elections.

In the interview, Villavicencio had allegedly indicated that Maduro might accept such an arrangement if he were guaranteed safety from prosecution.

“Maduro would be inclined to accept it,” she said, according to Bloomberg. “He could leave without necessarily ending up in prison; someone else could come in to lead that transition and allow for elections that are legitimate.”

Colombian authorities stressed that these remarks do not constitute official policy, and Bogota reiterated its commitment to non-interference in Venezuela’s domestic affairs.

Colombia halts intel sharing with US

Earlier on November 12, Colombian President Gustavo Petro took a decisive stand against US military operations in the Caribbean, ordering an immediate suspension of intelligence cooperation with Washington in response to the unlawful missile strikes on civilian vessels.

The Colombian leader announced the move on Tuesday, condemning the ongoing US attacks that have destroyed multiple boats and killed dozens. "All levels of public security intelligence have been ordered to suspend information sharing and other forms of interaction with US structures. This measure will remain in effect as long as missile attacks on boats in the Caribbean continue. The fight against drug trafficking must be subordinated to the human rights of the peoples of the Caribbean region," Petro declared on X.

Petro’s order comes amid growing global outrage over Washington’s campaign of naval strikes, which the US claims target drug-trafficking operations but which observers say increasingly resemble extrajudicial executions at sea. The United Kingdom has reportedly followed suit by freezing intelligence exchanges with the US, citing fears that the operations breach international law.