Colombia and Venezuela have fully restored diplomatic relations after a three-year break. A new Colombian ambassador, Armando Benedetti, arrived Sunday in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. “Relations with Venezuela should never have been severed. We are brothers and an imaginary line cannot separate us,” the new envoy tweeted. Benedetti welcomed Venezuela’s Deputy Foreign Minister Rander Peña Ramírez, who tweeted that “our historic ties call us to work together for the happiness of our peoples.” Ambassador @AABenedetti arrived in Caracas 🇻🇪 and was received by the Under Secretary of State for the Americas of the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, @RanderPena pic.twitter.com/z2TSHNYS9k — Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia (@CancilleriaCol) August 28, 2022 Colombia’s new leftist president, Gustavo Petro, and Venezuela’s socialist president, Nicolas Maduro, announced on August 11 that they planned to restore diplomatic relations, which were severed in 2019. Caracas had severed ties with Bogotá earlier that year after members of the Venezuelan opposition tried to cross Colombian soil with trucks loaded with food and medicine. It also closed the border, saying the aid covered up a US-backed opposition coup attempt. Embassies and consulates in both countries were closed and flights between the neighbors were grounded. Former Colombian President Ivan Duque has not recognized Maduro’s re-election in 2019 and has instead backed opposition leader Juan Guaido’s claim to be Venezuela’s interim president. Ties have warmed since Petro took office in early August. Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, has said he will recognize Maduro and work with the Venezuelan government on many issues, including fighting rebel groups along the porous border between the countries. Maduro also appointed Felix Plasencia, a former foreign minister, as ambassador to Bogotá. In addition to exchanging ambassadors, the normalization process will include the full opening of the more than 2,000 km (1,200 mi) border between the two countries, which has been largely closed to vehicles since 2015, although it has been open to pedestrians since then. end of last year. Caracas and Bogotá have also announced intentions to restore military relations.
