New Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs Claudia Blum on Thursday met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as Bogota called for Washington to back talks to resolve Venezuela’s long political crisis.
Blum, whose country has taken in about 1.4 million refugees from economically ravaged Venezuela, held talks with Pompeo at the US Department of State in their first meeting since she took office last month.
Colombia has strongly supported the US-backed effort to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and install Venezuelan National Assembly President Juan Guaido.
Photo: AP
But nearly a year after most Western and Latin American nations recognized Guaido as interim president, opposition efforts to take power have fizzled and Maduro still enjoys the support of the Venezuelan military, Russia and China.
Addressing reporters ahead of Blum’s meetings, Colombian Ambassador to the US Francisco Santos said that Washington should play a direct role in talks among Venezuelans.
“I think if this is really going to go anywhere, America will have to be involved in guaranteeing that what is negotiated can become a reality,” he said.
He said he expected that Venezuela’s economic collapse, which for more than two years has made staple goods out of reach for many people, would force Maduro to negotiate in the new year.
“If we keep the pressure, some real negotiations are going to happen, and we will see what we all want, which is free presidential elections,” he said.
“Will they be with Maduro or not? We don’t know, but I think the economic crisis will bring this change to happen,” he said.
The US has taken a hard line on negotiations, saying that any talks should only lead to the exit of Maduro.
Norway has mediated talks between Maduro’s and Guaido’s representatives, but the meetings broke down in August.
Maduro subsequently held “national table” discussions with fringe opposition parties, in what Guaido’s main opposition and the West denounced as not inclusive enough to be relevant.
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