Colombia, Venezuela presidents to satisfy in Caracas By Reuters

BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombian President Gustavo Petro and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro will meet in Caracas on Tuesday to debate their nations’ recently-thawed bilateral ties and expanded commerce, the Colombian authorities mentioned on Monday.

The neighbors’ fraught relationship has improved since Petro took workplace in August on guarantees to completely restart commerce, with cargo transport now allowed at border crossings between the Colombian metropolis of Cucuta and the Venezuelan state of Tachira.

“President Gustavo Petro will journey to the town of Caracas together with his crew to have lunch with the Venezuelan president,” Petro’s workplace mentioned in an announcement in regards to the assembly – the leaders’ first for the reason that thaw in relations.

They are going to talk about bilateral relations, reopening the border and reintegrating Venezuela into the inter-American human rights programs, mentioned the assertion.

The assembly is a part of efforts to spice up regional economies and shield the Amazon (NASDAQ:), the assertion added.

Venezuela is a guarantor nation at Colombia’s talks with the Nationwide Liberation Military (ELN) rebels, which can resume in November. Advocacy group Human Rights Watch has mentioned Colombia might use the renewed relationship to assist curb human rights violations in its neighbor.

Caracas broke off relations with Bogota in 2019 after Venezuelan opposition activists tried to ship assist vans from Colombia. Maduro’s authorities mentioned it was a entrance for an tried coup.

Earlier governments in Bogota have accused Maduro of harboring Colombian insurgent teams and criminals, accusations he has denied.

Bilateral commerce totaled $7 billion in 2008, earlier than Venezuela’s then-president Hugo Chavez froze it to protest a Bogota-Washington army deal.