News|GovernmentVenezuela’s Rodriguez, Colombia’s Petro say they will meet ‘soon’Petro said he had invited Rodriguez to meet in the border city of Cucuta to discuss energy cooperation and infrastructure projects.
## Bilateral Meeting Between Venezuela and Colombia
Bilateral Meeting Between Venezuela and Colombia
Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced a bilateral meeting with Colombian President Gustavo Petro to address security, economic, and energy topics. The meeting is set to occur in the border city of Cucuta, Colombia, emphasizing energy cooperation and infrastructure projects.
Colombia and Venezuela share a border exceeding 2,200 kilometers (1,370 miles), which significantly influences their bilateral relations. The dynamic has become increasingly complex due to the influx of nearly three million Venezuelan migrants and refugees into Colombia.
Venezuela's New Government and US Relations
Following the removal of Nicolas Maduro on January 3, Venezuela's Supreme Court appointed Delcy Rodriguez as acting president, with her formal swearing-in occurring on January 5. The US government, under President Donald Trump, has expressed conditional support for Rodriguez, contingent on her alignment with US interests.
Rodriguez has initiated reforms, including legislation allowing foreign investment in Venezuela's nationalized oil sector. Concurrently, the US has begun relaxing certain sanctions to enhance oil production capabilities under this new administration.
Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced a bilateral meeting with Colombian President Gustavo Petro to address security, economic, and energy topics.
The change in Venezuela's leadership has led to increased international diplomatic engagements. Recently, Venezuela hosted Qatar's Prime Minister and received unpublicized visits from high-level US military officials. These visits follow a meeting between Rodriguez and US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, marking the first official cabinet-level engagement from the US in Venezuela post-Maduro's removal.
President Trump has indicated a potential diplomatic visit to Venezuela, which, if realized, would be the first by a sitting US president in nearly three decades.
Since taking office in 2022, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has worked to restore diplomatic ties with Venezuela, including reopening the border. However, relations were strained by Venezuela's contested 2024 election results, which Petro publicly questioned, leading to a boycott of Maduro's 2025 inauguration.
Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.
