Colombia Offers Support for Maduro‘s Exit, Warns of Humanitarian Crisis from Intervention
BOGOTÁ, Colombia – Colombia’s Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo Villavicencio stated his government would support a plan for Nicolás Maduro to leave power in Venezuela, signaling a potential shift in regional approaches to the ongoing political crisis. The offer comes amid heightened tensions, including recent military maneuvers by Trinidad and tobago that have drawn concern from Venezuela, and warnings from Maduro against potential U.S.military intervention.
The Colombian government believes a negotiated transition, driven by the Venezuelan opposition, is the most viable path forward, avoiding a perhaps devastating humanitarian crisis that could result from external intervention. “An intervention could generate a humanitarian crisis that would be very difficult to address,” Villavicencio said, emphasizing the need for a political solution supported by Venezuelan factions, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina machado.
The move reflects a delicate balance as international pressure mounts on the Maduro regime. While some sectors have called for stronger action, including military intervention, the U.S. Army has stated it is prepared for operations in Venezuela “if asked.” Maduro himself warned that a military attack by the united states would be his “political end.”
Machado, who recently released a “Manifesto of Freedom” asserting the imminent end of the Chavista regime, has called for free elections and accountability for Maduro. “Venezuela will only fully rise when those who committed crimes against humanity are judged by law and by history,” she stated, ahead of her Nobel Prize acceptance ceremony in Oslo on December 10. It remains unclear whether Machado will support Colombia’s proposed transition plan, given her emphasis on legal accountability for the current government.
