Diplomatic and commercial relations between Venezuela and Colombia. Will they be able to normalize them?

The president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Jorge Rodríguez, communicated this Wednesday to the head of the Colombian Senate, Juan Diego Gómez Jiménez, the «full disposition» of the Venezuelan parliament to begin the process of normalization of bilateral relations.

In statements made from the seat of the Legislature, Rodríguez reported that his Colombian counterpart had sent him a letter in which he proposed to initiate a process to normalize diplomatic relations; protect companies from both countries; and verify good binational business practices.

The Venezuelan parliament’s response, Rodríguez said, was «fully willing to begin the process» proposed by the Colombian Congress.

In that sense, he explained that the Venezuelan Assembly will hold a session this Thursday at 11:30 in the morning, to discuss the formation of a commission that will have «characteristics similar to that approved in the Colombian Senate», on 19 May. October.

«This is good news for the people of Colombia and Venezuela», said Rodríguez about the beginning of a process that aims to normalize bilateral relations that have been broken since February 2019, when the government of Iván Duque decided to recognize as «interim president» former deputy Juan Guaidó and supported a series of actions of force by the opposition, described as interference by Caracas.

What does the head of the Colombian parliament say about the relations with Venezuela?

For his part, the head of the Colombian Senate told the press that if relations with Venezuela were normalized, the «seven unemployment points» that Colombia currently has, could be overcome.

In addition, he pointed out that this process is not a matter of «political ideology» but of «commercial» interest, that the Senate has decided to advance and that in turn is «an important message» for the Chancellor, Marta Lucía Ramírez, and President Duque, who promised not to interact with Caracas during his term that expires on August 7, 2022.

For now, the reestablishment of relations between Venezuela and Colombia must also overcome the political barriers, placed, above all, by the Iván Duque regime, after the recognition of former deputy Juan Guaidó as the supposed «interim president» and also the military conflicts and the related to the Venezuelan company Monómeros, which has been practically kidnapped in Colombian territory.

Maduro: «a tremendous step» 

After the announcement, the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, applauded the initiative taken by both parliaments, that will be advanced by a binational commission and congratulated the head of the Colombian Senate for presenting the proposal.

«It seems to me a tremendous step that the assembly of Colombia and that of Venezuela have agreed to advance in a Binational Commission for the normalization of diplomatic and commercial relations», said Maduro.

The Venezuelan president stressed that both countries must solve their problems in peace, in order to regularize and normalize commercial, productive, economic, consular and diplomatic relations.

«In Venezuela there are 6 million Colombians who do not have consular assistance because the government of Iván Duque does not give them assistance», said Maduro and recalled that in Colombian territory there are also Venezuelan migrants who need assistance from their country, as they are currently victims of persecution, xenophobia and hate crimes.

The president, who denounced that in Colombia there are 836 Venezuelans who are missing, stressed that the process of normalization of relations must take place without interference in the internal affairs of the countries.