Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodríguez Welcomes Colombian President Gustavo Petro at Miraflores Palace in Caracas

Colombian President Gustavo Petro met with Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas on Friday, April 24, 2026, marking their first meeting since the U.S.-backed capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in January.

The meeting took place amid ongoing diplomatic engagement between the two nations despite long-standing tensions, with both leaders affirming their commitment to addressing shared challenges through dialogue.

President Petro arrived in Caracas accompanied by a delegation that included top military and police officials, signaling the importance placed on security cooperation, particularly in the Catatumbo region where armed groups compete for territorial control.

Both leaders emphasized the need for close collaboration on intelligence to prevent violence from spilling across the border, with Petro warning that without such cooperation, “bombs land in the wrong places … and end up killing civilians.”

The discussions were expected to cover a broad bilateral agenda, including migration, defense, border security, industrial cooperation, and trade, reflecting the interconnected nature of Colombia-Venezuela relations.

President Rodríguez welcomed Petro at the presidential palace, underscoring the continued diplomatic channel between the two governments despite Venezuela’s internal political crisis following the contested July 2024 elections.

Colombia has maintained diplomatic ties with Caracas even as it did not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president after the 2024 elections, which triggered protests and widespread repression.

The meeting had originally been scheduled for the previous month but was canceled by both governments citing “force majeure,” without further explanation, before being rescheduled for this Friday.

Colombia’s government stated that the talks aimed to “contribute to a resolution of Venezuela’s political crisis,” indicating a broader regional interest in stabilizing the neighboring country.

Previous attempts to engage directly at the border had been disrupted, leading to the decision to hold the talks in Caracas, where both sides could engage in a more controlled diplomatic setting.

The encounter represents a continued effort by both nations to manage bilateral relations through established diplomatic channels, even amid broader geopolitical complexities involving international actors and domestic developments in Venezuela.