President Gustavo Petro’s proposal to move toward a dual citizenship arrangement between Colombia and Venezuela for citizens who have lived in both countries has opened a new front in the debate over the relationship between the two nations, which share a history and a border.
The initiative aims to allow citizens of both countries—who share a common history on both sides of the border—to hold both Colombian and Venezuelan citizenship simultaneously, with access to civil, political, and economic rights in both countries.
The proposal comes amid a process of political rapprochement between Bogotá and Caracas, in which the two governments are trying to deepen cooperation in trade, energy, and border security.
For the Colombian president, formally recognizing dual citizenship would be a step toward greater social and economic integration between societies that have historically been connected.
Petro proposes dual citizenship between Colombia and Venezuela
The initiative proposes that Venezuelan citizens residing in Colombia and Colombians living in Venezuela be able to obtain dual citizenship with full rights. The measure would allow, among other aspects, participation in political life, access to public services, and the development of economic activities in both countries without restrictions derived from their nationality.
According to President Petro, the objective is to recognize a social reality that has existed for decades in border regions, where communities from both countries have maintained family, cultural, and commercial ties that transcend formal borders. In that context, the president argues that the border should not be seen only as a dividing line, but as a shared space between peoples with a common history.
The proposal also aims to facilitate the institutional integration of millions of Venezuelans currently living in Colombia, many of whom arrived during the years of economic and political crisis in Venezuela. For the Colombian government, granting the possibility of dual citizenship could consolidate their social and economic integration in the country.
The dual citizenship proposal is part of a broader agenda that the Colombian government has put on the table in talks with Caracas. Issues discussed include the reactivation of bilateral trade, energy cooperation, and the strengthening of security mechanisms along the border.
Within that agenda, the possibility of moving toward tariff-free trade between the two countries has also been mentioned, a measure that would seek to boost economic exchange after years of diplomatic rupture and trade restrictions that was already ruled out by Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez. Colombian authorities believe these initiatives could help stimulate border economies, which depend heavily on commercial flows between the two territories.
The rapprochement between the two governments comes after several years of political tensions that led to the closure of the border and the suspension of diplomatic relations. After Petro came to power in Colombia, however, both countries have begun a gradual process of normalization that includes the reopening of border crossings, the restoration of embassies, and the resumption of bilateral cooperation mechanisms.
Impact on migration and border regions
The debate over dual citizenship has a direct impact on migration dynamics between the two countries. Colombia became the main destination for Venezuelan migration during the past decade, with nearly three million citizens crossing the border in search of better living conditions and settling permanently in Colombian territory.
In many areas of the country, especially in border departments such as Norte de Santander, La Guajira, and Arauca, the presence of Venezuelan populations has transformed the social and economic dynamics of local communities. The possibility of obtaining dual citizenship could facilitate their formal integration into the labor market and into the country’s institutions.
At the same time, thousands of Colombians continue to live in Venezuelan territory—although the number has decreased considerably over the past decade, amid the country’s social and economic crisis—especially in regions close to the border.
For them, the initiative would also open the door to exercising citizens’ rights in both countries without having to renounce their original nationality.
𝐃𝐄𝐁𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐀 𝐋𝐄𝐘, 𝐍𝐎 𝐄𝐋 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐍
La seguridad de las fronteras exige unidad entre los Estados. Siguiendo los lineamientos del señor Presidente @petrogustavo, Colombia y Venezuela han decidido fortalecer la cooperación para enfrentar con… https://t.co/plH3Nt6bEm pic.twitter.com/Z93GL5lIIK
— Pedro Arnulfo Sanchez S. Orgullosamente Colombiano (@PedroSanchezCol) March 14, 2026
Delcy Rodríguez highlights progress in bilateral meeting with Colombia
For her part, Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez described as “positive and constructive” the meeting she held this weekend in Caracas with ministers from the government of Gustavo Petro to advance an agenda of economic and energy integration between the two countries.
The meeting, which included high-level delegations from Colombia and Venezuela, focused on reviewing joint projects in energy, trade, and infrastructure, at a time when both governments are seeking to deepen the normalization of their bilateral relations.
After the meeting, Rodríguez said the dialogue made it possible to “identify areas of strategic cooperation” and strengthen a relationship based on economic complementarity and mutual benefit. According to the president, energy integration is one of the pillars of the new phase of cooperation between the two countries.
One of the key points discussed was the possibility of reactivating binational energy projects, including the operation of the Antonio Ricaurte gas pipeline and cooperation between state-owned companies such as PDVSA and Ecopetrol, initiatives that depend in part on international authorizations due to sanctions that remain in place against Venezuela.
Rodríguez also stressed the importance of expanding bilateral trade and moving toward mechanisms that facilitate the exchange of goods and services along the shared border. In that context, she said that “exchange is very important: that Venezuela can buy electricity from Colombia and Colombia can buy gas from Venezuela.”
The ministerial meeting took place after the cancellation of a previously scheduled meeting between Petro and Rodríguez at the border, which was postponed due to force majeure. Both governments agreed to hold a new presidential summit on April 23 and 24 in Maracaibo to continue the political and economic dialogue.