Guaidó reproaches Petro for withdrawing recognition by Maduro, who “protects global terrorism”

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, has reproached the new Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, for withdrawing recognition of him as president of Venezuela in favor of Nicolás Maduro, who he considers to be “sheltering world terrorism.”

“I would have expected that his first decision would not have been to approach the one who today protects world terrorism in Venezuela,” Guaidó said this Friday in a press conference reported by the Venezuelan press.

Guaidó, who is recognized as Venezuelan president by the United States, has stressed that he is taking steps to establish a direct dialogue with Petro, whom he has questioned for appointing Armando Benedetti as ambassador to Venezuela.

“I would have expected President Petro to start with the attention to migrants and refugees fleeing the dictatorship, the violation of human rights and hunger and not to talk about one ambassador or another, with an implicit recognition of a dictator who rather contributes to the direction of the dissidents of the FARC, the ELN, drug trafficking, etc.,” he argued.

Regarding the negotiations between the Government and the opposition, Guaidó has reiterated the willingness of the Unitary Platform to resume contacts in Mexico and reach an agreement on humanitarian and political matters “that grants licenses and uses the progressive lifting of sanctions”.

Guaidó has also referred to the opposition primaries, scheduled for 2023, in which the presidential candidate to face Maduro will be chosen. “The primaries are to consolidate unity, it is not about who has more votes. Maduro is a minority, he has neither respect nor support. The candidate that cannot be defeated is the unity, the unity defeats the dictatorship through the middle street again and again”, he has indicated.

In addition, on the military exercises to be held in Venezuela with the participation of military from China, Russia and Iran in the coming days, Guaidó denounced that this is a “provocation” to the United States. “Maduro brings war to the continent, these are provocative exercises to a hemisphere that seeks peace and growth. Maduro is not only a threat to Venezuelans but to the entire hemisphere,” he argued.

“Does President Petro think he can deal with a dictator like this with ties to international terrorism simply because of ideological or economic affinity,” he has reiterated.