On January 10, Nicolás Maduro will take office as president of Venezuela in a ceremony that is expected to be controversial, due to the international classification of the elections that re-elected him as “fraudulent.” Given this scenario, the presence of President Gustavo Petro at the event in Caracas has become a topic of debate and political speculation, both in Colombia and internationally.
Maduro, who was re-elected in elections without official records and with strong allegations of irregularities, has invited several world leaders, including the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro. However, a few days before the ceremony, it is unknown if Petro will attend the inauguration. Uncertainty revolves around diplomatic implications and policies that his decision could bring for Colombia.
In Colombia, a large part of the political and opinion class has expressed their rejection of Petro participating in the ceremony, arguing that his presence would be a way of ratifying what they consider an “electoral scam” by Maduro. These sectors assure that the legitimacy of the electoral process in Venezuela is in doubt, which makes Petro’s assistance a complex diplomatic situation.
For his part, President Petro has maintained an ambiguous position regarding his possible assistance, making it clear that, as responsible for Colombia’s foreign policy, the decision will fall exclusively on him.. On several occasions he has stated that he will make a decision in accordance with national interests and the international circumstances of the moment.
Despite this open stance, sources close to the Casa de Nariño have indicated that it is unlikely that President Petro will attend the ceremony. According to these sources, Petro’s attendance at an event of this type could generate a high political cost., especially after his statements in which he stated that he will not recognize the new Maduro government due to the lack of electoral records.
The situation has led to a scenario in which Colombian diplomacy faces a complicated dilemma, Any decision on participation in Maduro’s inauguration will have repercussions on international relations and could be interpreted differently by the actors involved in the Venezuelan conflict.
The opinions
Former President Luis Guillermo Murillo spoke about the possible attendance of President Gustavo Petro at the inauguration of Nicolás Maduro, stating: “When you do not agree with the President of the Republic, you resign,” referring to Luis Gilberto Murillo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia.
Likewise, the president of the Senate, Efraín Cepeda, expressed his discontent with the possible assistance of the Colombian Government to the inauguration of Nicolás Maduro, calling it “shameful” that President Gustavo Petro supported what he considers a dictatorship. Cepeda recalled that, in Congress, a proposal had been approved that urged the Petro Government not to attend the public event of the Venezuelan regime, reiterating the critical stance towards the political situation in Venezuela.
