- The president said that this pact should be presented as a State declaration before the UN Security Council | Main photo: EFE
Colombian President Gustavo Petro proposed on Wednesday, July 10, a “national agreement” that would provide guarantees for Venezuela’s position following the presidential elections are held on July 28.
“What I propose for Colombia is valid for Venezuela. A national agreement that, in the Venezuelan case, seeks the maximum guarantees for the opposition, respecting the upcoming election results,” the president wrote on his X account (formerly Twitter).
In my opinion, what I propose for Colombia is valid for Venezuela: a national agreement that, in the Venezuelan case, seeks the maximum guarantees for the opposition while respecting the upcoming electoral result.
The agreement made by the high contracting parties: the government and the current…
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) July 10, 2024
According to the Colombian president, the opposition and the government of Nicolás Maduro must present this national agreement as a declaration of State before the Security Council of the United Nations Organization (UN).
“Once the agreement is signed, all economic blockades once morest the Venezuelan people should be lifted,” Petro concluded.
The proposal of Petro and Lula
On April 17 of this year, the Colombian president revealed in a press conference held together with the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, that they made a proposal to President Nicolás Maduro and the Venezuelan opposition regarding holding a plebiscite.
We have also talked regarding Venezuela, which is in the news today. (…) We want to convey to you (together) with President Lula a proposal that was conveyed to President Maduro and the opposition. It is regarding the possibility of a plebiscite in the upcoming elections, which would guarantee a democratic pact,” he declared at the Casa de Nariño.
Petro stressed that this proposal seeks to offer guarantees for “anyone who loses” in the Venezuelan presidential elections.
“We want to guarantee that anyone who loses in these elections will have certainty and security regarding their life, their rights, and the political guarantees that any human being should have in their respective country,” he said.
Santos asked to “pressure” Maduro so that there are free elections in Venezuela
On April 22, former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said he was in favor of both Gustavo Petro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva “pressuring” President Nicolás Maduro to hold free elections in Venezuela.
“If Lula and Petro really want to pressure Maduro to hold free elections, now is the time,” emphasized the Nobel Peace Prize winner in an interview with the newspaper Newspaper.
Santos added that he did not support the proposal made by President Gustavo Petro regarding the holding of a plebiscite ahead of Venezuela’s presidential elections.
The arrival of the UN panel of experts in Venezuela
On July 9, a panel of electoral experts sent by the UN He arrived in Venezuela to observe the electoral process on July 28 and prepare a confidential report that will be sent to the Secretary General of that multilateral organization, António Guterres.
The UN explained in a press release that the panel was sent in response to a request for assistance made by the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela. It also indicated that it has had the support of Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and Canada for this panel.
The experts will be able to include recommendations in the report, with the aim of applying them in the upcoming elections in Venezuela. This means that the suggestions might be sent to the CNE.
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2024-07-12 00:17:39