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The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro (center), in the company of Argentine President Alberto Fernández, Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, Venezuelan opposition spokesperson Gerardo Blyde, and representatives of the governments of Norway, France, and Argentina. Photo: Twitter/@petrogustavo.
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, explained his proposals to revive the talks between the Venezuelan government and the opposition coalition Unitary Platform, which he described in a meeting held on Friday, November 11, at the Paris Peace Forum. Jorge Rodríguez, the president of the National Assembly of Venezuela; Gerardo Blyde, the Unitary Platform’s coordinator for dialogue, as well as representatives of the governments of France, Argentina, and Norway participated in that meeting.
Petro suggested “unblocking” Venezuela, that is, the lifting of all unilateral coercive measures, a “general amnesty” which would be applicable to all those who have been imprisoned “for a political reason,” and “a pact of coexistence” between the government and the opposition, which would extend beyond the 2024 presidential elections.
En la mesa donde el gobierno francés, noruego, argentino, venezolano y la oposición venezolana intervienen para revitalizar la mesa de México y el acuerdo político venezolano
Propuse desbloqueo y aminitía general y un pacto de convivencia para las elecciones y después de ellas. pic.twitter.com/mvwbFzXo3f
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) November 11, 2022
“On our part, we asked for a de-escalation of the political conflict, the entry of Venezuela to the Inter-American Human Rights System, a general amnesty, a general unblocking, elections in 2024 must give guarantees to all the political forces there, and where the decision is that of the sovereign people of Venezuela,” President Petro told the media.
He commented that it is a positive aspect that “the Venezuelan political conflict has not brought about a violent outcome” as it has happened in other countries, and added that “there is undoubtedly an advance, a development of the negotiations in Mexico.”
Jorge Rodríguez: Dialogue and Agreements With Opposition Require Lifting Sanctions
The Colombian president also announced that he has committed himself to “support”—without intervention—the dialogue and “to improve the lives of the Venezuelan people in Colombia.” He emphasized that “the unblocking of the Venezuelan economy” should be implemented as “part of a humanitarian measure.”
#AHORA Pdte. #Petro se comprometió a apoyar, más no intervenir, en el diálogo de #Mexico y se compromete a mejorar la estadía de Venezolanos en #Colombia pic.twitter.com/YUf8USrMef
— Jofrana González Canelones (@jogonzalezc) November 11, 2022
On Friday, Jorge Rodríguez and Gerardo Blyde also spoke with the foreign minister of Spain, José Manuel Albares, who on behalf of the Spanish government asked the parties to resume the dialogue and offered that Spain would like to act as mediator.
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/AF
