What you need to know about the meeting between the presidents of Colombia and Venezuela?

(CNN Spanish) — The presidents of Colombia and Venezuela are meeting this November 1st as part of Bogotá’s efforts to reestablish relations with Caracas after years of broken bilateral ties.

Gustavo Pedro and his entourage arrived in Caracas 2 minutes before noon to meet with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro, in the first meeting of presidents since the Colombian president arrived in Casa de Nariño on August 7.

“This meeting is part of President Gustavo Pedro’s leadership to boost the economy of the region, to socialize his agenda in favor of the interests of the Latin American bloc and the protection of the Amazon, and as part of the preliminary meetings for COP 27.” A report says The Colombian Presidency announces the meeting.

According to Casa de Narino, the meeting is expected to take place in Caracas this Tuesday at noon.

A key meeting

The meeting comes at a key moment in the recovery of bilateral relations between Colombia and Venezuela, one of the main races of the Pedro government, with activities that began in August of this year, first Appointment of ambassadors in both countries then, Restoring border tradeClosed for many years.

The meeting was chaired by Diostado Cabello, president of Venezuela’s ruling National Constituent Assembly, one of Chavismo’s strongest men.

“Let the conversation with the President of Colombia come, come, let the conversation come. There are so many things that are pending, how long has it been since the neighboring presidents met,” Capello said this Monday.

It was the first meeting between the presidents of Colombia and Venezuela. The two leaders last met in August 2016 Maduro and then-President Juan Manuel Santos met in Puerto Ortiz, Venezuela, in a private meeting with their respective Foreign Ministers, Maria Angela Holguin and Delsey Rodriguez.

President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia and Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela last met in August 2016 in a private meeting in Puerto Ortiz, Venezuela. The meeting was attended by Ministers of Foreign Affairs Maria Angela Holguin and Delsey Rodriguez. (Credit: Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

For that moment of Santos and Maduro meeting, A year has passed since the border was closedVenezuela’s decision came after clashes between Venezuelan security forces and civilians, which Maduro called “paramilitarism” in Colombia and which he blamed on former President Uribe, who denied the allegations at the time.

In the wake of the crisis, Venezuela also deported more than a thousand Colombian citizens who lived on Venezuelan territory.

Issues that Pedro and Maduro discuss

According to the Colombian president, the bilateral relationship between the two countries will be the main topic of the meeting, as well as the reopening of the borders that began in September of this year and the re-entry of Venezuela into the United States Human Rights Organization.

But Pedro’s visit to Venezuela this Tuesday is important because of his government’s other big challenge: Peace talks with ELNSince Venezuela is the seat and guarantor of this peace process that is expected to begin in the coming days.

On September 14, 2022, President Gustavo Pedro asked Maduro to be a guarantor of the peace process with the guerrilla group. A request Maduro readily agreed to.

It was founded on protocols agreed with the government of Juan Manuel Santos (2010-2018). Venezuela is an agreed country for ELN peace delegations to return to If the process fails or they have to consult with their troops again.

This country’s role for peace in Colombia is very important. It wasn’t just that Mediator, but observer and partner in other efforts at peace talks with armed groups And the governments of Colombia, in the peace with the FARC signed in 2016, released hostages in the first decade of the 2000s and M-19’s peace talks in the 1990s.

Amazon and Latin America, another major issue

In addition to bilateral issues such as politics, peace and trade, Pedro and Maduro will also discuss two important issues for the region: the protection of the Amazon and the “interests of the Latin American bloc” will be discussed at this meeting. President’s Statement from Colombia.

After winning Brazil’s election this weekend, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is back. Peter spoke “Integrated Electric Power Network of the Americas with Clean Energies” and “Latin American Economic Integration” because the Latin American federation has now turned to mostly left-wing governments. And he said this Scientific Research and the Amazon “Rescue” This will be one of the main issues with Brazil, which shares territory with Venezuela.

Diosto Cabello has “envisioned” a summit with Lula, Pedro and Maduro.

It is expected to be a further step towards restoring relations between the two countries, which have deteriorated over the past four years, especially in 2019 when opposition activists tried to send aid trucks from Colombia. Reuters reported that Maduro’s government said it was a front for a coup.

Previous governments in Bogotá have accused Maduro of harboring Colombian rebel groups and criminals, which he has denied.

Bilateral trade was $7 billion in 2008, when then-Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez froze it in protest of a military deal between Bogota and Washington.

According to the Colombian ambassador to Venezuela, Armando Benedetti, trade between Colombia and Venezuela will reach this year. US$449.7 million, an increase of 95.5%.