Colombian President Gustavo Petro has reiterated his stance that the United States must return captured former leader Nicolas Maduro to Venezuela to face trial, sparking a public debate with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado regarding judicial independence.
Petro, who has questioned the U.S. military operation carried out on Jan. 3 against Maduro, argued that the former president should be judged by a local tribunal or one representing the “three Americas,” rather than the U.S. justice system.
During public remarks, President Petro said, “They have to return him and have a Venezuelan tribunal judge him and not a U.S. one. Why? Because Latin American civilization is different from the European Anglo-Saxon one.”
Petro clashes with Maria Corina Machado over Maduro
The proposal drew sharp criticism from Maria Corina Machado, described in the text as a Nobel Peace Prize winner. She warned that the Venezuelan judicial system lacks the necessary guarantees for a fair trial, citing historical precedents of retribution against judges who defied the regime.
According to reporting by El Tiempo, Machado stated, “I wonder if the president of Colombia is aware that any judge in Venezuela who issues a sentence contrary to the interests of the regime knows that he can end up as the last judge who issued a sentence contrary to the regime, as Maria Lourdes Afiuni ended up.”
Machado referenced the case of Judge Afiuni, who was detained in 2009 without a warrant under the administration of Hugo Chavez after ordering the release of a banker.
Petro’s response
President Petro responded to Machado via X. While he did not directly address the specific case of Judge Afiuni, he emphasized the need for an inclusive political pact.
Petro wrote, “I am sure that Venezuela must initiate a transition to democracy and peace, and that is done through a pact of all political and social sectors without excluding any. Every exclusion, like the one done to Corina, is harmful and generates hate and violence.”
Petro has clarified in recent statements that his call for Maduro’s return does not constitute a defense of the former leader, but rather a stance on jurisdiction and sovereignty. The exchange occurs just days before Petro is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington next week. Petro’s position, although already known, generates speculation over the tone he will adopt next week in Washington during his meeting with the U.S. president.