The issues that Petro and Maduro addressed in their first official meeting in Caracas

The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, said on Tuesday that the first meeting with his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, in Caracas, has been «fruitful», «auspicious» and «with good results».

«We have had a fruitful, intense and extensive day with President Gustavo Petro and with his delegation. We have discussed various issues of bilateral cooperation». said Maduro from the Miraflores Palace, seat of the Venezuelan government, where he told his counterpart that «he will always be very welcome in the homeland of Bolívar».

Prior to the declarations of both South American leaders, Petro and Maduro signed a joint declaration and shook hands to seal a milestone in the history of bilateral relations between both countries, reports RT.

«Colombia and Venezuela, if we have something in common, it is destiny», said Maduro, who stressed that relations between Caracas and Bogota should always be marked by «brotherhood and understanding».

«Governments are obliged, in the diversity of our visions, to always work for the common good», added Maduro, who detailed several of the issues that he discussed with Petro for several hours.

Maduro commented that they discussed trade, economic relations, and the «new steps» that they will take «towards a total and assured opening of the borders between Colombia and Venezuela», as well as «the security and due and corresponding manners of operation» of the border area.

On this point, President Petro commented that they agreed to «rebuild the relations that existed at the intelligence level», to «hit, not so much the drug trafficking worker who is out there, but the owners of the capital (behind the trafficking), who are the ones who almost never have been hit» and they are the ones that are «dangerous for the political stabilization».

In this regard, Petro commented that the issue of the fight against drug trafficking demands «a great Latin American conference of Presidents to reexamine the failure that we have committed during the last five decades».Re-entry of Venezuela to the CAN and economic cooperation

Maduro also announced that during the meeting he confirmed the will for Venezuela to re-enter the economic bloc of the Andean Community (CAN), a proposal that Petro made at the beginning of his term and that Caracas approves.

«We have talked about multilateral issues, the re-entry of Venezuela to the Andean Community of Nations, the CAN, good news for South America, good news for the CAN», said Maduro.

On this issue, the Colombian president invited the governments of Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru to accept the reinstatement of Venezuela in the CAN «as a member with all powers, rights and duties».

Meanwhile, Maduro pointed out that on the economic issue they spoke of «strengthening cooperation between Monómeros, Pequiven, and all the work that has to do with the issue of fertilizers».

In addition, he explained that they discussed the strengthening of the Community of Latin American States (CELAC), on the plans for the recovery of the Amazon, the strengthening of the South American Amazon Treaty Organization and «the need to take a common position as South America, as Latin America and the Caribbean, to the COP27 in Egypt», which includes the issues inherent to climate change and which currently translates into the «survival of the human species».

The Venezuelan president indicated that they also addressed joint work in the fight against drug trafficking, «the good treatment of the migrant population» that dynamically crosses the border into both countries, and the strengthening of diplomatic and consular relations. «It has been a fruitful and auspicious first meeting, with good results and surely, from now on, there will be good news for both populations», added Maduro.Maduro on the return of Venezuela to the inter-American human rights system

Regarding Petro’s proposal for Venezuela to re-enter the inter-American human rights system, Maduro indicated that it is an «interesting» issue.

«Regarding the steps based on a reconsideration of the inter-American human rights system, I have been very receptive, and will continue to be in the course of the next few weeks, in relation to this interesting issue raised by President Gustavo Petro», commented the Venezuelan president. .

On this point, Petro explained that the idea is that Venezuela can strengthen, with its re-entry, the inter-American human rights system, to jointly defend the precepts of democracy, above all, «in the face of the barbarism that is unleashed in the world», that is observed in «the advance of fascism, of authoritarianism, and of the exoduses that are answered with bullets at the borders».

«That is why we have asked the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to strengthen that system, even under the new signs that mark the phase that we are living and the new phase that we are going to live, which this time has to generate a true Latin American integration in practice, in facts, in the projects, not only in the speeches”, added the Colombian president.

In this sense, Petro stressed that Latin America has to become a beacon of democracy for humanity, because today the world has its eyes on Latin America for various reasons, such as its political times, the climate crisis and the barbarism that we can observe, which puts the lives of humanity at risk, while the planet sinks into «more war» and «xenophobia».

«We can be a torch, a lighthouse if we want. I believe that it is our turn to be a beacon, and in that extent integrate ourselves, locate the channels of democracy, link ourselves to the people, without whom nothing is possible, and be able to illuminate once again a century of the lights that are needed, because if that light does not appear, what is coming for all is extinction», said the Colombian head of State.»A brotherhood that should never have been broken»

Petro pointed out that the rupture between the relations between Colombia and Venezuela was something «unnatural» and «anti historical», because these are two countries and peoples that are united by «blood ties», by «a common root» and intertwined in a common history.

«We are intertwined by history, by a common root, by blood», said Petro, who added that to bet on separating two ‘sister’ nations «really becomes a suicidal adventure», because the bonds of friendship that both peoples have must always overcome «the political forms» adopted by each country.

In that sense, Petro stressed that now Caracas and Bogotá must «rebuild» the path of that brotherhood, that although it is «difficult» it must be walked and has to start at the border, which after years of separation between the governments, is now in the hands of of «mafias».

«That path begins by rebuilding the border. The border is in the hands of the mafias, it remained in the hands of the mafias, of what we call multi-crime organizations, whose head, its leadership is multinational. It is the expression of a failure, of something that is called the war on drugs and which has left us today, democratic destabilization, a million deaths in Latin America and territories that have been lost both for societies and for the States», he said.

The mission – Petro explained – is that the border «regain its commercial vigor», and that the businessmen of both countries, the small farmers and popular commerce, can begin to establish joint mechanisms, built by themselves «in a free way», to strengthen «the foundations of a mighty trade».

In addition, there is the common approach to the defense and recovery of the Amazon – said Petro – which must also change the current economic system that depends on oil and coal. In this effort, there is the incorporation of Brazil, «which is decisive» to protect the Amazon rainforest, a vital space that must be seen as the «fundamental climatic pillar» of human existence.

«We will continue in these discussions, debates and meetings of a brotherhood that should never have been broken»,  concluded Petro.