The president of Colombia, Iván Duque, offered his US counterpart, Joe Biden, Colombian oil to stabilize energy prices, following the United States had contacts with Nicolás Maduro on this matter.
“Today Colombia is a country that has more capacity to supply hydrocarbons than Venezuela has,” Duque claimed at a press conference he offered at the Colombian Embassy in Washington. following meeting with Biden in the White House.
The first meeting between the two leaders was marked by the visit of a US delegation to Venezuela on Saturday to discuss with Nicolás Maduro the release of US prisoners and the oil crisis unleashed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Duque confirmed that he spoke with Biden regarding the energy issue and told him that “Colombia is an actor that can contribute much more” than Venezuela.
He said that Colombia produces more than 890,000 barrels per day, that it has the goal of reaching 1 million, and that Colombian oil represents 3% of US imports.
In addition, he assured that the Colombian oil company Ecopetrol has in Texas the “largest investment” of a foreign oil company in the United States.
“Colombia will contribute to increasing its market in the United States to the extent that the United States requires it and to the extent of our capabilities,” he said.
Colombia and the US still do not recognize Maduro
Before the trip of the US delegation to Caracas, Duque stressed that the vision has not changed and that “Colombia and the United States have not recognized the dictatorial regime of Maduro as an interlocutor.”
“It is important to say that the United States and Colombia continue to demand the establishment of democracy in Venezuela and call Nicolás Maduro a dictator,” he stressed.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki stressed Thursday at her daily briefing that the United States still does not recognize Maduro as “leader of Venezuela”, a country with which he broke diplomatic relations in 2019 by recognizing the interim presidency of the opposition Juan Guaidó.
The Press Secretary stated that the priority of the trip was the release of US prisoners and, although the energy issue was discussed, there is no negotiation to import Venezuelan crude oil to the United States or lift sanctions on the oil sector in that country.
In the meeting with President @POTUS, @JoeBiden We highlight the commemoration of 200 years of bilateral relations and we celebrate the new Colombian Alliance, with which we will have greater collaboration between the two nations and that our country will be a pillar of security in the hemisphere. pic.twitter.com/IAbk45z0Jb
– Ivan Duke ???????? (@IvanDuque) March 10, 2022
