Featured image: Former Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos (left) and former deputy Guaidó (right). Photo by Ultimas Noticias.
On Wednesday, January 19, former president of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, described the country’s support for former deputy Juan Guaidó, who proclaimed himself interim president of Venezuela in February 2019, as one of the “greatest diplomatic stupidities.”
“The so-called ‘Guaidó option’ failed when it was born,” Santos said in an interview with Colombian news outlet El Tiempo. “That was one of the greatest diplomatic stupidities of recent times. Unfortunately, Colombia was one of its most enthusiastic promoters.”
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#16Ene 🌎 | Juan Manuel Santos: La opción Guaidó fue "una estupidez diplomática" https://t.co/7xpt41TvMF
— El Cooperante (@El_Cooperante) January 16, 2022
In this sense, Santos expressed regret that the current president of Colombia, Iván Duque, supported Guaidó. “Maduro is more firmly in power,” confirmed Santos.
Similarly, Santos stressed that “the opposition remains very divided,” and recommended that a solution should involve “Russia, China, the United States, Europe, and Cuba, for a peaceful and negotiated transition.”
For her part, the political analyst Argelia Ríos stated that Guaidó’s image abroad continues to weaken, as is evidenced by those who have abandoned his cause, particularly on the international level. In addition, by 2020 the opposition-led National Assembly had ceased to function.
In addition, stated Ríos, “the weakening of Guaidó has a lot to do with the lack of internal support. It has been difficult to achieve a national unity movement around him.” The El Tiempo media network is owned by the family of Colombia’s former President Santos.
Featured image: Former Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos (left) and former deputy Guaidó (right). Photo by Ultimas Noticias.
(Últimas Noticias) by Ariadne Eljuri
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
