MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Santos and Maduro agree to open a new chapter of neighbourly relations
There are things we do not agree on but we have the responsibility to work together”, said Colombian leader Santos Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Colombian counterpart Juan Manuel Santos on Monday agreed to turn the page on a diplomatic dispute triggered when Santos met with Venezuela's main opposition leader in May.
Maduro in May had slammed Santos for receiving Henrique Capriles, who narrowly lost Venezuela's presidential election in April, saying the meeting constituted meddling in the affairs of the OPEC nation.
“There are things that we do not agree on ... but we have the immense obligation and responsibility to work together - and that's what we're going to do,” Santos told reporters after the meeting in Puerto Ayacucho, the capital of Venezuela's Amazonas State that lies across the Orinoco River from Colombia.
Maduro vowed to contribute to Colombia's peace negotiations with Marxist oriented drug-fuelled FARC rebels that are meant to end Latin America's biggest and longest-running guerrilla insurgency.
“You can count on our best efforts to ensure peace can be achieved,” he said.
Capriles in May met Santos following his 1.5 percentage point election defeat to press his case that Maduro's victory was illegitimate due to voting-day irregularities.
Maduro, whose victory was ratified by elections authorities, described the meeting as a “betrayal” and a “stab in the back” by the Colombian leader.
The spat and subsequent make-up is another cycle in a volatile relationship between the two neighbouring nations that for years saw relations and commercial ties frayed by ideological differences and volleys of insults between heads of state
Top Comments
Disclaimer & comment rules-
-
-
Read all commentsSo does this mean in the future that Santos will not speak to anyone in peaceful opposition to Maduro, or Maduro accepts that Santos can speak to peaceful and democratic Venezuelan's that are in opposition?
Jul 23rd, 2013 - 02:33 pm 0I know what I think...
“Maduro vowed to contribute to Colombia's peace negotiations with Marxist oriented drug-fuelled FARC rebels that are meant to end Latin America's biggest and longest-running guerrilla insurgency.”
Latin politics stinks
Yes, it's one in the back for you, NO, you; No, you!
Jul 23rd, 2013 - 05:14 pm 0Damn, we've both got one in the back!
Colombia, or more likely,President Santos can´t afford atm Venezuela´s erratic relationship with his country, especially considerig the peace talks are already very questioned at home. Maduro just reacted in a poor dyplomatic way because if he himself was sure of his victory then the presence of Capriles in Colombia should have been conduced as a bilateral issue rather than what they ultimately said. Maduro probably fears losing control of the Goverment be it because of the strong opposition or someone else from his own party, which could happen.
Jul 24th, 2013 - 01:02 am 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!