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News > Latin America

President Maduro to Colombia: Take Responsibility for False Dossier

  • President Maduro to Colombia: Take Responsibility for False Dossier

    | Photo: Prensa Presidencial

Published 30 September 2019
Opinion

"Venezuela does not want conflicts with anyone, we aspire for peace and respect with Colombia," said the Venezuelan president.

President Nicolas Maduro on Monday urged the Colombian government of President Iván Duque to assume responsibility of the "false positives" presented at the 74th General Assembly of the United Nations.

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Colombian Intelligence Chief Dismissed After President Duque Uses Fake Venezuela Photo in UNGA

"Documents have reached us to alert us that the U.S. government has given the order to mount a false positive at the U.N. to begin an escalation of military and political attacks against Venezuela," the president said during a statement to international media.

"Duque must apologize to the people of Colombia for appearing before the United Nations to lie on behalf of their country," said the Venezuelan head of state.

The Venezuelan president went on to explain that "the false photos of the National Liberation Army (ELN) in Venezuela and the photos of Juan Guaido with Colombian paramilitaries are the radiography of the battle we are having."

In addition, the Venezuelan head of state indicated that he was informed that his counterpart Duque dismissed a general for the false photos they took to the United Nations. 

"The fault is not of the general, the real fault is of President Duque because he got the information and defended them, everything was a plan. Ivan Duque is a liar!" he reiterated.

In reference to the military exercises between Colombia and the U.S., he said that the Venezuelan government rejects any practice that may involve aggression against the South American country. "Venezuela does not want conflicts with anyone, we aspire for peace and respect with Colombia," he stressed.

He also explained that he advocates restoring diplomatic and political relations between Colombia and Venezuela, and taking the path of peace.

Last week Duque presented a report at the 74th UN General Assembly in which he claimed Venezuela’s support for “terrorist” activities. 

"My government has irrefutable and conclusive proof that corroborates that the dictatorship supports criminal and narco-terrorist groups that operate in Venezuela and try to attack Colombia," Duque told assembled world leaders in New York holding up a copy of the 128-page dossier.

However, a few hours later, the Colombian media and the international news agency AFP denied the photographs used.

The general command of the Military Forces admitted in a statement that the photo of the massacre used by Duque was in fact from Catatumbo, Colombia. 

The dossier included years-old uncredited photos from news agencies taken in Colombia - not in Venezuela - which led Maduro to dismiss the dossier's contents and sparked widespread criticism of Duque from media outlets and nongovernmental organizations.

Maduro also said that his government is ready to restart peace talks with the opposition sponsored by Norway of the government of that country invites his officials for a new round of dialogue. The president also said that lawmakers from his ruling party have returned to the opposition-led National Assembly, but recognized that the body's lack of authority which he said should be restored through new legislative elections to be called for some time next year. 

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