José Manuel Restrepo, vice president of Colombia. File photo.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Venezuela has issued an official statement following remarks by Colombia’s Vice President José Manuel Restrepo during a meeting with the designated Colombian ambassador to Caracas and business leaders from Antioquia on Sunday. There, scenarios for reactivating binational trade were discussed.
Venezuela expressed that it “values the Colombian government’s interest in strengthening the ties between both nations, united by the legacy of the Liberator Simón Bolívar and the brotherhood of our peoples, historically called to understand each other.”
Despite welcoming the intention to revitalize the region’s economy, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry emphasized the importance of respecting Venezuela’s institutional competencies and national sovereignty over its internal affairs. The ministry reacted after the Colombian official said his government was coordinating with the United States to reestablish trade with Venezuela.
🗣️#Comunicado | Venezuela reconoce las declaraciones del Vicepresidente de Colombia, José Manuel Restrepo, y valora su interés en fortalecer vínculos bilaterales, unidos por el legado del Libertador Simón Bolívar. pic.twitter.com/ctheXrDCJZ
— Min.Relaciones Exteriores y Comercio Internacional (@Cancilleria_ve) August 10, 2026
“We reaffirm that all decisions regarding economic management and trade within Venezuelan territory fall exclusively under the purview of our constitutional authorities, in the full exercise of our sovereignty,” the statement stressed.
Colombian vice president cites US-Colombia coordination
Restrepo told reporters he had met with Colombian businesspeople who have conducted foreign trade with Venezuela. Together with the designated ambassador, they found an opportunity to generate investment and increase Colombia’s foreign trade with Venezuela.
He said this was possible thanks to interaction between Colombia, the United States, and Venezuela, adding that “it materialized on August 7 when the US delegation gave us the green light for the US-Colombia Bilateral Dialogue.”
Venezuela conditions cooperation based on mutual respect
Venezuelan authorities reaffirmed their willingness to advance concrete plans that benefit both populations, especially in border areas, provided there are guarantees of mutual respect. “We reaffirm our willingness to move forward with an agenda of cooperation and border revitalization, based on mutual respect, non-interference, and peace diplomacy—fundamental principles of our foreign policy,” the statement said.
The statement concluded by expressing optimism about the future of diplomatic and trade relations between the two states and confidence that “sincere dialogue will allow us to build an increasingly beneficial relationship for our brotherly peoples.”
The full unofficial translation of the statement follows:
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela takes note of the statements issued today by Colombia’s Vice President José Manuel Restrepo, during a meeting with the Ambassador designated to Venezuela and businesspeople from Antioquia, in which prospects for the reactivation of bilateral trade were discussed.
Venezuela values the Colombian government’s interest in strengthening ties between our nations, united by the legacy of the Liberator Simón Bolívar and the brotherhood of our peoples, historically called to understand each other.
However, we reaffirm that all decisions regarding economic management and trade within Venezuelan territory are the sole responsibility of our constitutional authorities, in the full exercise of our sovereignty.
We reaffirm our willingness to advance an agenda of cooperation and border reactivation, based on mutual respect, non-interference and peace diplomacy, non-negotiable principles of our foreign policy.
We trust that sincere dialogue will allow us to build an increasingly beneficial relationship for our sister nations.
Caracas, August 9, 2026.
Previous Colombian statements
This is the second incident of this kind involving statements by Colombian authorities. On July 7, a few days after a double earthquake that struck Venezuela’s north-central region, then-President-elect Abelardo De la Espriella made a similar statement about reconstruction efforts in Venezuela, saying that “Colombia must undertake the reconstruction of Venezuela, with all that this entails.”
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He announced he had instructed his designated Defense Minister Jorge Eduardo Mora to assemble a team of military engineers to prepare for an eventual deployment. He also ordered his appointed minister for Commerce, Industry, and Tourism, Mauricio Gómez, to pitch the initiative directly to the United States chief of mission in Colombia—actions Venezuela viewed as bypassing formal communication and disregarding Venezuelan sovereignty.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SF
