Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (right) and Vice President Delcy Rodríguez (left) at the inauguration of the National Chamber of the People's Government System, February 7, 2025. Photo: Presidential Press.
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, stated that his government is working constantly for preserving peace in both Venezuela and Colombia.
“We want peace in Venezuela and Colombia, we are working every day … For there to be peace in both countries, there must be integration between the two,” said President Maduro during the inauguration event of the National Chamber of the People’s Government System on Friday, February 7.
The president highlighted that the Lightning of Catatumbo military operation that was initiated last week by the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) will rid Venezuela of armed groups in the border region with Colombia.
“We can affirm that after this Lightning of Catatumbo Operation, which is one of the several military operations that we are going to carry out in 2025, our territory will definitely be free of armed groups, illegal coca plantations, cocaine laboratories, clandestine airstrips, and mafias,” he commented.
Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino López reported that the FANB has destroyed more than 20 illegal camps of various kinds on the Venezuelan side of the border.
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“We can show the country a tangible result in terms of the destruction of camps of various kinds: training, drug processing, logistics, cocaine laboratories—we have destroyed more than 20 camps in this operation,” Padrino López reported. “The operation is being carried out in a sector that covers 100 kilometers of the border and an area of 10,000 square kilometers.”
President Maduro also reiterated his proposal on the creation of a Colombia-Venezuela binational zone for the economic and social development of both countries.
“I have proposed the creation of a large binational economic zone of Norte del Santander and the state of Táchira and part of Zulia… to provide education, culture, sports, social and integral development to all that area and for us to have a great peace plan, because Colombia’s pains and violence are ours too, so we want the wounds of Colombia to heal,” he said.
(Últimas Noticias) by Randolf Borges
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
