Colombia and Venezuela to focus on joint security and intelligence in April 24 talks in Caracas

Colombian President Gustavo Petro confirmed that security in the Catatumbo region will be the central issue of a high-level bilateral meeting with Venezuela scheduled for Friday, April 24, in Caracas with acting President Delcy Rodríguez.

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Speaking during a Cabinet session at the Casa de Nariño, Petro said the initiative is aimed at advancing a coordinated plan between both countries. He noted that previous efforts have faced attempts at sabotage, making direct coordination with Venezuelan security forces necessary.

“The issue is security and a joint plan,” Petro said, outlining the scope of the upcoming talks.

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Text Reads: President Gustavo Petro confirmed that security will be the central theme of his meeting in Venezuela, as part of his bilateral agenda with the Venezuelan government, focused on cooperation between the two nations. 🔴 The president indicated that the meeting will include coordination on intelligence and border security, with the participation of authorities from both countries to strengthen information sharing. 🔴 The objective of the meeting is to advance a joint plan to address security concerns in the border region and reinforce regional stability.

A central component of the strategy is the strengthening of binational intelligence. Petro stressed that accurate and reliable information is essential to avoid civilian harm during military operations.

“If there is no intelligence, bombs fall in the wrong place; if intelligence guides the shots, if shots are fired without intelligence, they end up killing people, as has already happened in Colombia,” he said.

The meeting is part of a broader process to reactivate the bilateral agenda between Colombia and Venezuela, where border security has emerged as an urgent priority alongside trade and energy cooperation.

Colombia’s government is seeking a coordinated response to the violence affecting Catatumbo, one of the country’s most complex regions in terms of public order. The aim is to establish a joint security framework that allows effective coordination and contributes to stabilizing the border while protecting communities in the area.

Text Reads: In the Council of Ministers, President @PetroGustavo asked the President of the United States, Donald Trump, for a ceasefire in Iran and confirmed that he will meet with the acting president of Venezuela, @delcyrodriguezv, to coordinate security and intelligence actions on the border.

Rodríguez previously met with Colombian ministers on March 13 to address mechanisms for strengthening bilateral relations. Among the issues discussed was the concept of binational citizenship, linked to mobility in the region, with the acting president supporting the recognition of migrants with full rights.

Petro has not traveled to Caracas since 2024, when he was expected to meet with President Nicolás Maduro to discuss the state of bilateral relations.

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