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By Amira El-Fekki
Middle East News Reporter
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Colombian President Gustavo Petro has rejected a plea from Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro for military support against the United States.
"I cannot give orders to the Venezuelan army, nor can anyone there give orders to the Colombian army," Petro told reporters at a press conference at the Casa de Nariño, the official presidential residence in Bogotá, on Thursday.
Facing U.S. pressure and the possibility of armed conflict between the U.S. and Venezuela, Maduro appealed to Colombia for a military alliance.
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Petro said cooperation between Panama, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela can only happen through popular support and constitutional legitimacy.
Why It Matters
Petro's comments come at a time where Venezuela seeks support from international allies, including diplomatic backing from Russia, China and Iran. Tensions have raised questions about the legality and legitimacy of U.S. military action against alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and about diplomatic relations with Latin American neighbors.
American naval and air force forces remain on Maduro's doorstep under President Donald Trump's escalating pressure campaign, which included a major oil blockade and tanker seizure this week, putting extra strain on Venezuela's economy.
Tensions between Washington and Bogotá are also rising over the broadened U.S. military presence in the Caribbean region and Washington's approach to drug trafficking, particularly controversial boat strikes that have killed more than 100 people so far.
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What To Know
Petro called for a negotiated, peaceful, Venezuelan-led political solution to the crisis in the Caribbean, saying he does not support "invasion," although he did not explicitly name the U.S. This came after Maduro addressed a public plea Wednesday to Colombia’s citizens, social movements, political and military groups, according to state-owned Venezuelan outlet El Correo del Orinoco.
While describing Maduro’s regime as a dictatorship that he does not support, Petro has challenged U.S. claims of the Venezuelan president's involvement in drug trafficking, saying that Colombia has found no evidence that he is a drug trafficker.
"Maduro is a dictator for concentrating powers; there is no evidence in Colombia that he is a narco. That is a narrative of the USA," the Colombian president posted to his X account Wednesday.
Like Maduro, Petro believes oil is at the core of the U.S. pressure campaign on Venezuela and has warned against Washington expanding threats to Colombia. Trump has increasingly hardened his rhetoric toward Colombia and warned Petro he could “be next," having previously issued threats aimed at Maduro.
The State Department designated Colombia’s Clan del Golfo as a foreign terrorist organization on Tuesday. The group is Colombia’s largest drug cartel and is currently negotiating with Petro’s government as part of broader peace talks with the country’s armed groups, according to El País.
What People Are Saying
Colombian President Gustavo Petro was quoted as saying on Thursday, in Spanish: "I have an immense doubt about the Venezuelan elections; I said it publicly. I did not attend the inauguration, just as other Latin American countries did not. They are facing an invasion, them and us, as they have said. One thing is a dictatorship and another is an invasion; an invasion is worse."
Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro said Wednesday in Spanish: "The greatest guarantee of peace and stability is unity. That is why, today, I make an…appeal to the ordinary people of Colombia, to its social movements, political forces and its military. I call on you to unite with Venezuela so that no one tries to touch the sovereignty of our countries, and to exercise Bolívar's dictum, that of permanent unity."
What Happens Next
International actors are urging de‑escalation and Venezuela has requested an urgent meeting at the U.N. Security Council.
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