Washington, Jan 6 (EFE). – The Colombian government condemned before the Organization of American States on Tuesday the “unilateral military actions” of the United States in Venezuela that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, considering them a “worrisome” threat to the security and sovereignty of the region.
“What happened on January 3 in Caracas constitutes a clear violation of international law,” said Colombian Deputy Foreign Minister Mauricio Jaramillo, referring to Saturday’s US military operation, during a special session convened by his country.
“Democracy cannot be the result of coercion or external intervention,” Jaramillo added.
The US ambassador to the OAS, Leandro Rizzuto, said the US operation was a “targeted law enforcement action” against an “indicted criminal.”
“Let me be clear, the US did not invade Venezuela,” Rizzuto said.
“President Trump offered Maduro multiple offramps. This was not an interference in democracy … it actually removed the obstacle to it,” he added.
The US ambassador’s speech was interrupted minutes before by a protester who interrupted the meeting.
“The majority of people are against this!” cried out Madea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink, a US-based anti-war nonprofit. “Hands off Venezuela!”
The Colombian ambassador also rejected the US threats against Colombia and President Gustavo Petro.
“We reject the threats and disrespect against our democratically elected head of state,” said Jaramillo, who called for an end to the “constant threats” against Colombian territory.
Bogotá’s reaction came after US President Donald Trump said that Colombian President Gustavo Petro “was next” and referred to him as a drug trafficker following the military action in Venezuela.
Colombia also warned that the current crisis in Venezuela could trigger a new mass exodus of migrants and called for an end to any attacks on civilian targets.
Meanwhile, other Latin American countries called for respect for sovereignty and a peaceful solution.
“We urgently call for respect for international law and the sovereignty of Venezuela. Only the people can freely define the use of their natural resources and their forms of government,” said Mexican Ambassador Alejandro Encinas.Other countries, including Chile, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic, joined the call, although they recalled that in 2024, they had denounced Nicolás Maduro’s reelection as illegitimate. However, they agreed that military intervention “jeopardizes the stability of the region.”
Chilean Ambassador Tomás Pascual said that although his government rejects the “dictatorial acts of Nicolás Maduro’s regime,” it believes that military interference “is not the path to a democratic transition” and stressed that it should be Venezuelans who define the future of their country. EFE dte/mcd
