Why is the role of Venezuela so important for the long-awaited «total peace» of Colombia?

Peace in Colombia has always been a matter of first order for Venezuela. This has been reiterated by the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, when pointing out his country’s commitment as guarantor of the peace process that is resumed between the Colombian government and the guerrilla National Liberation Army (ELN).

«The peace of Colombia is the peace of Venezuela and of the entire continent», said Maduro in response to the request of his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, to serve as guarantor in the dialogues with the ELN to try to put an end to a chapter of the armed conflict that the country has been experiencing for decades.

Miguel Ángel Pérez Pirela, doctor in Political Philosophy, told RT that in order to clarify the importance of Venezuela in the Colombian peace process, the main thing is to point out that Caracas —historically— has been crucial in Bogota’s national and international politics, with greater force since Hugo Chávez became president and became involved in peacemaking.

The expert believes that «Venezuela has earned its role» as guarantor of the peace process, as a result of Hugo Chávez’s involvement in the release of prisoners held by the FARC-EP guerrillas in 2008, actions that over time added to the dialogues with the government of Juan Manuel Santos and that culminated in the signing of the 2016 Peace Agreement.

In addition – he maintains – Venezuela has the confidence of «an important sector of the Colombian society», which is suspicious of its Executive after the governments of Álvaro Uribe and Iván Duque, who radicalized armed violence, removed the military presence on the border, bet on the continuous diplomatic friction with Caracas and «in the creation of a paramilitary State of serial killers, who kill social leaders, human rights activists and guerrillas».Is peace in Colombia possible without Venezuela?

For Pérez Pirela, these dialogues are «strictly related to the participation that Caracas has had during the Bolivarian governments, a process that Chávez began and that Maduro has continued».

«It’s not about different processes», says Pirela, who emphasizes that, to a large extent, the Colombian conflict affects the governability of Venezuela. To illustrate this situation, the philosopher recalls the controversial friction that has eroded bilateral relations in recent years, especially during the administrations of Iván Duque and Álvaro Uribe.

Despite the past frictions between these two governments, Caracas has always built bridges to direct the altercations towards a peaceful resolution and has insisted on diplomacy as a transversal issue for peace, even more, regional peace, explained Pérez Pirela.

«For this reason, the importance of Venezuela in these dialogues is historical and necessary», adds the analyst. In his opinion, peace in Colombia can gain a lot with the support of Venezuela as a neighbor, and as a guarantor of the possible agreements that can be reached.»A tactical actor»

Pérez Pirela highlights that in the last 15 years, «Venezuela has been a kind of Good Samaritan» for Colombian peace, because it has kept at bay the attempts of the Uribismo to escalate the internal conflict to a frontal war which would have had a regional impact.

“Diplomatically, we must recognize the audacity and intelligence of Nicolás Maduro. He is not just any President, we are talking about the longest-serving foreign minister that Hugo Chávez had, the leader who disrupted, molded and modified geopolitical structures», maintains the analyst.

Seen in this way – he explains – Maduro is «a tactical actor» in the peace process, because he «has been treading lightly on very thin ice and has never separated himself from the good of the Colombian people, contrary to Uribe´s interests».

«Petro has restored the importance that Venezuela is a fundamental actor in the sociopolitical future of Colombia, because trust comes from various sectors and the Colombian president, in a wise, coherent and moral way, recognizes it, moving away from what Duque did» in relation to Venezuela.

Pérez Pirela also points out that since Petro assumed the Government, the reconstruction of the diplomatic relationship with Caracas has been a priority, because pacification implies maintaining the social, economic, cultural and commercial exchange with Venezuela in good terms.

«Everything has been taking its natural course and this is what the reality demonstrates today with convincing facts», says Pérez Pirela, who adds that the new reality shows the error of the «unnatural blockade» that both the Uribism and Duque sponsored, «to subtract from Venezuela the importance it deserves».Peace is guaranteed with Venezuela

For the expert, the inclusion of Venezuela as a guarantor makes it clear that there are now high levels of trust between the two countries, something that can be seen in the recent visit made to Miraflores by the Colombian Foreign Minister, Álvaro Leyva, and in the appointment of high-ranking ambassadors, such as former Venezuelan Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia in Bogotá; and the diplomat Armando Benedetti, Petro’s confidant in Caracas.

In the process – he explained – the economic factor that adds to social welfare and reduces inequality is also vital, an issue that with the reopening of the border, the countries aspire to achieve the commercial dynamics that they maintained in 2008, which exceeded 8,000 million dollars and that now, after the years of ´rupture’, is less than 500 million.

Another priority – according to Pirela – is the joint military operation on the border, which on the Colombian side was abandoned «systematically» during previous governments in Colombia, causing paramilitary and guerrilla groups to fight for those territories. These dynamics encouraged the resurgence of the conflict and the violence that these communities have lived, and which has also impacted the Venezuelan side of the border, said Pirela.

“It is a long and porous border that requires a serious military presence”, he emphasized in this regard.Enemies of peace

The expert warns that although both countries want “total peace” to be achieved in Colombia —as Petro calls it—, this process must still circumvent the interests of those who do not want it to be achieved.

“Peace in Colombia has many enemies, starting with the United States, because war is a lucrative, lucrative business that impacts the entire drug market. In addition, it has many defenders, ranging from the US to puppets like Iván Duque, Juan Guaidó, the Uribismo and those who really control drug trafficking from the global North».

The expert indicates that those «enemies of peace»  are the ones that Petro has identified as the true «owners of drug trafficking», and who – in his opinion – encourage armed conflict and violence.

“Petro has bravely and dignifiedly differentiated, in the United Nations, cocaine from the ancient coca leaf, and tells the world that drug lords like Pablo Escobar and Chapo Guzmán are infants compared to those who really control the business, who are in the global North and are the enemies of peace».»A credible and popular government»

Pérez Pirela believes that the talks between the Petro government and the ELN will take place in an auspicious climate.

“There is something in these negotiations that the others did not have, not even those advanced by Santos, and that is that there is a credible and popular government, the first left-wing government that Colombia has had and a serious President”.

In parallel – he says – there is «a guerrilla that sits with a government that they trust a little more, because it is more autonomous in relation to the interests of the United States, which opens up hope and marks a roadmap towards a well-deserved peace that Colombia yearns for”.

Beyond the optimism and the favorable climate for the negotiations, Pérez Pirela believes that nobody should be naive in relation to this process because «the future of these negotiations remains to be seen».