Colombian President Petro warns against attack on Venezuela
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Colombian President Gustavo Petro warns that foreign intervention in Venezuela could destabilize the Greater Colombia region, drawing parallels to Syria and Iraq.
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President Gustavo Petro holds a sword that once belonged to independence hero Simón Bolívar during a speech to supporters outside Congress in Bogotá, Colombia, Thursday, May 1, 2025 (AP)
Amid the deployment of US ships in the Caribbean and growing diplomatic tensions, Gustavo Petro's call to avoid any form of foreign intervention in Venezuela sparked a debate about regional stability.
The Colombian president warned that military action against Caracas could have devastating consequences for the entire Greater Colombia region, comparing the possible scenario to the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.
Petro's concern centers on the impact a "violent aggression" would have on the social and political structure of neighboring countries, stating that "if there is a violent aggression against Venezuela, what we see in Syria and Iraq will be the reality for the entire Greater Colombian region" and warning that "mass murderers will seize territories, driven by greed, and states will be weakened as instruments of social peace."
In a statement released through his account on the social network X, he underlines the fear that foreign intervention could lead to the collapse of states as guarantors of peace and the proliferation of violent actors in the territory.
Only path for the region is defense of national sovereignty
The Colombian president maintained that the only legitimate path for the region is the defense of national sovereignty, stating in his opinion that "neither in Panama, nor in Ecuador, nor in Colombia, nor in Venezuela should there be servile subservience to foreigners."
For Petro, international cooperation must be carried out on equal terms, especially in areas such as the fight against drug trafficking, which he considers a global problem, as he insists that coordination with external actors must be carried out "on terms of equality, not submission."
In response to speculation about Colombia's role in the event of a potential US invasion of Venezuela, Petro reiterated his rejection of any foreign intervention, maintaining that "neither Colombia, nor the Venezuelan opposition in Venezuela, nor any self-respecting Latin American should request or rejoice in a foreign invasion of our soil."
This comes after Washington deployed three guided-missile destroyers, the USS Gravely, USS Jason Dunham, and USS Sampson, near Venezuelan territorial waters, a deployment that included more than 4,000 Marines and sailors and sparked widespread condemnation across Latin America.
The deployment prompted Caracas to deploy 15,000 troops to the Colombian border in a move to defend the country against what Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro described as escalating threats against Washington.
