Petro considers Guaidó a “non-existent” president

The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, has defended this Monday the reestablishment of relations with the Venezuelan government of President Nicolas Maduro because the opposition leader, recognized as president by the United States, is a “non-existent” president.

“It’s like in the metaphor of Plato’s cave. Look how these shadows move, but they are unreal, nonexistent,” Petro has pointed out in an interview with the Colombian magazine ‘Semana’.

When asked by the interviewer if Guaidó is a non-existent president, Petro has answered sharply. “Yes, of course. He has no control in Venezuela,” he has reiterated.

Guaidó reproached Petro on Friday for withdrawing recognition as president of Venezuela in favor of 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 shelters world terrorism in Venezuela,” Guaidó said at a press conference.

“Does President Petro think he can deal with a dictator like this one with links to international terrorism simply because of ideological or economic affinity,” the Venezuelan opposition leader posed.