Venezuela Takes Out Anger Over Santos-Capriles Meeting on Colombia Peace Talks

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos’ decision to meet with Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles last week has put the Venezuelan government’s participation in the peace talks with FARC rebels in jeopardy, causing the guerrilla group to express concern about the future of negotiations.

It is safe to say Santos’ meeting with Capriles has brought Colombia-Venezuela relations to their lowest point since diplomatic relations were restored in 2010. As a result, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has withdrawn his representative to the peace talks in Cuba, Roy Chaderton.

It is unclear whether Chaderton will be back in Havana when negotiations resume on June 11. While Maduro has said he has “lost confidence” in Santos’ commitment to peace, he has made it obvious that ending his government’s role as a facilitator would be direct retribution for the Capriles meeting.

“On the campaign trail, I received envoys authorized from President Santos, I made arrangements with the Colombian guerrillas to achieve peace in Colombia, setting aside time -- hours and hours of work -- to help Colombia,” Maduro said in a televised address last Thursday. “And now they are going to pay us back in this form? With betrayal?”

Colombian negotiator Humberto de la Calle expressed hope on Friday that the two countries could resolve the matter soon, as “the role played by Venezuela has been very important to the talks very important, very important.”

Meanwhile, the FARC has also released a statement on the issue, in which it admits to being “worried, very worried” by the developments in recent days. The guerrilla group made a plea to the Venezuelan government to authorize direct contact between its negotiators and Chaderton  in order to “clarify the situation.” As Semana magazine notes, the communiqué suggests that while the rebels appear capable of carrying on talks alone, Venezuela is an important strategic ally to them and they would prefer its participation to continue.   

The Cuban government, for its part, has sided with Venezuela in the debate. In a statement released on Saturday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez declared Cuba's "unvarying position of solidarity with Venezuela and of recognition of the legitimate government of President Nicolas Maduro.”  

Rodriguez also described Capriles’ attempts to gain international support for his grievances as a plot to “hurt the unity of Latin America and the Caribbean, diminish independence and hurt the efforts of Venezuela and other states in favor of peace.”

News Briefs

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