Colombia and Venezuela Hold Key Talks in Post-Maduro Visit

President Gustavo Petro of Colombia and acting President Delcy Rodriguez of Venezuela finalized an agreement to enhance military collaboration against cross-border criminal networks during Petro’s recent trip to Caracas. This marks the first time a foreign leader has visited Venezuela since the U.S. intervention that led to the ousting of Nicolas Maduro. The partnership aims to address illegal activities such as drug trafficking, gold smuggling, and human trade along their shared frontier.

Rodriguez emphasized that both nations would work together to create shared intelligence systems and implement immediate strategies for border security. The Catatumbo region, located in northern Colombia near the Venezuelan border, has been a hotspot of conflict for over a year. Rival leftist groups there compete for control of illicit industries, including weapons trade and cocaine production. The area’s strategic value lies in its role as a smuggling corridor for drugs and other contraband.

“Both countries have undertaken the task of making…military plans, but also the immediate establishment of mechanisms for sharing information and for developing intelligence,” Rodriguez said in a joint statement with Petro.

The leaders also agreed to strengthen trade ties and improve electricity supply to Venezuela’s western regions, which have suffered frequent blackouts. “It makes no sense for Colombia or Venezuela to look toward other latitudes, another hemisphere, for what we can get in our own territories,” Rodriguez added, highlighting the benefits of regional cooperation. She noted that energy interconnection would allow mutual gas exports, expanding economic opportunities.

Rodriguez took over as acting president after Nicolas Maduro was captured by U.S. forces during a raid in Caracas and transported to New York for legal proceedings. The Trump administration supports her interim government, which has opened Venezuela’s state-owned oil sector to American firms. Petro, however, strongly criticized the U.S. operation, despite Trump’s accusations that Maduro failed to curb drug production.

Relations between Colombia and Venezuela have been strained for years. In 2019, former President Ivan Duque cut ties with Caracas after rejecting Maduro’s disputed election. Full diplomatic relations were restored in 2022 under Petro’s leadership, though he still does not recognize Maduro as the country’s rightful leader following the 2024 re-election. Despite this, Colombia maintains diplomatic engagement with Venezuela.

A planned meeting between Petro and Rodriguez in March had been scheduled in the border town of Cucuta, but it was canceled at short notice. The two nations share deep cultural and historical connections, especially along their 2,200-kilometer border. Millions of Venezuelans have migrated to Colombia over the past few years due to economic instability, with many families straddling both countries. To view the related video, ensure JavaScript is enabled and your browser supports HTML5 video.