The President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, announced that he will travel to Venezuela on April 24, in a move that marks the first interaction with the government in Caracas since the controversial July 2024 elections, whose outcome—Nicolas Maduro’s victory—was not recognized by Bogota.
The trip, which comes after weeks without finalizing prior meetings with authorities from the neighboring country—and following an initial failed meeting in the border area—aims to open a new political channel amid an uncertain transition of power in Venezuela and Colombia’s need to secure trade agreements, especially in the energy sector.
Petro also raised the need to move toward the formation of a “transitional government” in Venezuela, a proposal intended to provide a way out of the prolonged institutional crisis and facilitate the holding of elections with guarantees in a country that has been under a provisional government since Maduro’s capture last January.
Colombia’s Petro to Visit Venezuela Next Week, Proposes Transitional Government
The visit comes at a crucial moment for the country’s immediate future: Venezuela is going through a phase of political reconfiguration following Nicolas Maduro’s departure from power at the beginning of the year and the installation of an interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez, which has the backing of the United States.
This new scenario has opened a period of institutional adjustments, international outreach, and pressure to normalize the country’s political life, although for now it keeps the so-called “democratic opposition” completely sidelined from power.
At the same time, organizations such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have restored relations with Caracas, reflecting an attempt at reintegration into the global financial system and a shift in Venezuela’s economic policy. However, this process coexists with internal tensions, social protests, and demands for free elections from opposition sectors and civil society organizations.
It is in this context that Petro is seeking to position himself as a regional actor capable of dialogue. His trip aims, as stated, to hold direct meetings with Venezuelan authorities and contribute to the search for a negotiated political solution.
“On April 24 I will go to Caracas. If Muhammad does not come to me, I will go to the mountain,” the president said in an interview with media outlets in Spain, where he is currently attending the summit of progressive governments sponsored by President Pedro Sanchez.
In this context, Petro recalled the first failed attempt at a meeting in Cucuta, in the Colombia–Venezuela border region, which collapsed at the last moment without a known cause. Now, the Colombian president explained that Delcy Rodriguez “is afraid” to meet him in Colombia and that, for that reason, “the meeting at the border fell apart.”
Distancing from Maduro and a transitional government
During the interview with Spanish media, Petro said that relations with Maduro were not easy, especially after the controversial 2024 elections. “I really was not a friend of Maduro,” he told Television Española, although he acknowledged having held meetings with him before those elections, denounced as fraudulent by the international community.
The Colombian president explained that one of the main differences with the Venezuelan government lies in the economic model: “My progressive line around decarbonizing the economy (…) does not sound good in Venezuela, because Venezuela has spent a century living off oil.”
Nonetheless, Petro defended his country’s role in absorbing nearly 3 million Venezuelan migrants who, with great effort, managed to integrate into Colombian society. Now, the goal, he said, is to stabilize the country. In that context, the idea of a “transitional government” is not new in the Venezuelan debate, but it gains new momentum with the Colombian president’s initiative, which he had already supported in the final stretch of Maduro’s government.
In general terms, this type of formula points to the creation of a provisional administration that includes different political sectors, with the aim of restoring institutional order and calling transparent elections. Petro’s proposal fits within that logic, although without concrete details on its implementation. His approach suggests the need for a broad agreement that overcomes the polarization that has marked Venezuelan politics for years.
In this sense, the Colombian president proposes a solution based on an agreement between the opposing sides. In his view, the country needs a transition period before holding elections, something on which he appears to agree with U.S. positions. “They have to be held [elections], but what I have proposed (…) is to do something that was done in Colombia (…) which was to co-govern for a time,” he explained, referring to the historical period known as the National Front, in which liberals and conservatives shared power between 1958 and 1978.
Based on this experience, Petro proposed a scheme of “one or two years” of shared government between the ruling party and the opposition to build institutional trust. “Where both current sectors would govern,” he said, with the aim of creating conditions for “truly free” elections.
Finally, regarding a possible holding of elections in Venezuela, the Colombian president said that all sanctions on the country should be lifted in order to consider them free. “Elections under sanctions are called extortion; they are not free,” he concluded.
Stability and business with Venezuela
What Gustavo Petro has advocated is close to previous experiences proposed by the Venezuelan opposition since 2019, when legal frameworks for a democratic transition were discussed. Colombia has a clear interest in regional stability, and it is from this regional—not bilateral—perspective that Bogota approaches the resolution of Venezuela’s political conflict.
Colombia has been one of the countries most affected by the Venezuelan crisis, especially due to migration flows and the impacts on security and the economy along the shared border. This is why, behind Petro’s trip next week—and his proposal—there are several motivations.
First, stability in Venezuela is a matter of direct interest for Colombia. For years, millions of Venezuelans have crossed the border, creating humanitarian and fiscal challenges for the Colombian state. An orderly transition could reduce that pressure and facilitate the voluntary return of migrants.
Second, Petro seeks to reinforce his role as a regional mediator. Since coming to power, he has attempted to reposition Colombia as a relevant diplomatic actor in Latin America, promoting dialogue in political conflicts and favoring negotiated solutions. The Venezuelan crisis provides a suitable scenario for that objective.
Finally, following the opening of the market to foreign companies—especially in the oil sector—Colombia is seeking partnerships with its neighbor in the energy sector. For years, the Petro administration has looked to Venezuela for a solution to its imminent shortage of gas reserves.
Establishing an agreement for Bogota to purchase Venezuelan gas is the immediate solution that could prevent a potential supply problem. However, the condition of infrastructure on the Venezuelan side and technical issues could hinder this option, according to some experts critical of this approach.
Likewise, after Petro came to power in August 2022 and the reopening of the border, trade between the two countries regained its traditional momentum. Now, with the economic dispute that Bogota maintains with Quito, exports that are not reaching Ecuador are looking to Venezuela as a possible outlet.
To achieve this, relations between Colombia and Venezuela will need to enter a new phase of normalization, and Bogota’s role in the future of the Venezuelan government aims precisely to provide the status quo that would allow the reopening of trade.