The Colombian ambassador to Venezuela, Armando Benedetti, proposed that the Colombian government of Gustavo Petro withdraw the lawsuit against President Nicolás Maduro before the International Criminal Court, imposed by former Colombian President Iván Duque.
“I think so, what Duque did was a mistake in foreign relations,” the ambassador told an international media outlet when asked about the issue.
In September 2018, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court made public that the then governments of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru and Canada had requested to open an alleged investigation against the Government of President Maduro for the alleged commission of crimes of against humanity against the population since 2014 in the context of the violent protests carried out by the extreme right.
Regarding the unilateral and coercive measures that the United States maintains against Venezuela, Benedetti assured that the Colombian government is willing to contribute with the lifting of sanctions.
“We are going to advocate. We already did it in the CAN and we are also with the CAF looking for solutions”.
He added that Petro has not been attached to “obey or accept the influence of the presidents of the United States, as other presidents of Colombia have done.”
Likewise, Benedetti explained that he has told the economic advisers of the US embassy “that any process had to go hand in hand with them. I have a meeting with the United States ambassador in Venezuela to discuss these issues, ”he advanced.
The diplomat held important meetings this week with the Venezuelan head of state and his executive train.
