Within the framework of a public act of recognition of the responsibility of the Colombian State for the acts of violence and persecution committed against members of the “José Alvear Restrepo” Lawyers Collective (CAJAR) and their families, President Gustavo Petro once again referred to the situation in Venezuela and regional cooperation in matters of security.
During his speech, The president affirmed that his proposal for coordination with the government of Nicolás Maduro does not mean political support, but rather an effort to strengthen sovereignty and Latin American integration..
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“We are not going to defend Maduro, who yourselves have said violates Human Rights. There are Colombian prisoners there who I cannot say about their condition in the events in which they have been, but we have asked those Colombian prisoners to be here,” declared the head of state.
The president explained that the Colombian Government has carried out diplomatic efforts in order to repatriate national citizens detained in Venezuela and guarantee them due process. In that context, he mentioned that his approach does not seek to justify the Venezuelan regime, but rather to promote broader collaboration in the face of shared challenges in the region.
“But this is not for the defense of Maduro, this is for the defense of Latin American dignity, this is for the defense of the order and spirit that Simón Bolívar breathed into the founding of these republics,” Petro added, while highlighting the need for the countries of the continent to act jointly against transnational threats.
The president returned to a thesis that he has maintained in various international settings: that of creating cooperation mechanisms in intelligence and security between neighboring countries. “Here we must integrate the police, Venezuelan and Colombian intelligence, as well as integrate the intelligence and the Colombian and Ecuadorian public forces, as well as the police of the entire Amazon jungle and the intelligence of Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia,” he said.
According to Petro, this articulation would make it possible to more effectively confront drug trafficking networks, arms trafficking and other phenomena that cross borders. According to its approach, binational and regional cooperation should be based on trust, the exchange of information and the protection of human rights, avoiding subordination to external agendas.
The president also took advantage of his speech to question the military operations promoted by the United States in the Caribbean, especially those developed during the administration of former President Donald Trump, which he considered a threat to Latin American stability. “These operations are part of a plan against the Latin American region,” he stated, reiterating his rejection of foreign actions that, according to him, seek to condition the decisions of the governments of the south of the continent.
The call for regional integration and the defense of sovereignty has been one of the axes of President Petro’s diplomatic discourse since the beginning of his mandate. On several occasions he has stated that the common problems of Latin America must be faced from a shared vision and not under the direction of external powers.
On this occasion, the context of his statements was marked by the act of recognition of the victims of CAJAR, an event led by the Colombian State to admit its responsibility in acts of persecution and violence against human rights defenders. During the ceremony, the president highlighted the importance of comprehensive reparation and the institutional commitment to non-repetition of violations of fundamental rights.
Petro linked that message to the need to strengthen justice and international cooperation to prevent armed conflicts and political tensions from leading to new forms of violence. “The integration of our forces should not be interpreted as subordination, but as a step towards the real independence of Latin America,” he said.
His statements generated debate in different political sectors, some of which considered that the proposal could open spaces for coordination with governments questioned for their respect for human rights. However, the Presidency stressed that the initiative seeks to establish a technical work network on intelligence and security, focused exclusively on the fight against transnational crime.
The president concluded his speech by reiterating that his foreign policy will continue to be guided by the principle of Latin American cooperation, without implying ideological alignments. “The defense of Latin American dignity cannot be confused with the defense of a particular government. It is a defense of the people,” he pointed out.
