Colombia–Venezuela border security cooperation has advanced after President Gustavo Petro met acting President Delcy Rodríguez in Caracas, agreeing to joint military and intelligence measures targeting cross-border crime.
The visit marks the first by a foreign leader since the US removal of Nicolás Maduro, with both governments prioritising security, trade, and energy integration.
Petro said the joint effort would focus on “freeing border areas from the mafias engaged in a range of illegal businesses, starting with cocaine, illicit gold, human trafficking and rare minerals.”
“Both countries have undertaken the task of making…military plans, but also the immediate establishment of mechanisms for sharing information and for developing intelligence,” Rodriguez said.
“It makes no sense for Colombia or Venezuela to look toward other latitudes, another hemisphere, for what we can get in our own territories,” Rodriguez said in a joint statement with Petro.
Key developments:
- Joint military planning and intelligence-sharing to combat cocaine trafficking, illegal mining, human trafficking, and arms smuggling.
- Focus on stabilising the Catatumbo region, a strategic corridor for armed groups and illicit trade.
- Plans to expand electricity and gas interconnection, supporting Venezuela’s energy supply and potential exports.
- Renewed bilateral trade cooperation alongside restored diplomatic ties since 2022.
Despite past tensions and differing positions on Venezuela’s leadership, both sides emphasised pragmatic cooperation along their 2,200 km shared border.
ℹ️ DW News
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