2023-12-26 07:01:00
The reestablishment of relations with Venezuela, the struggle with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, the rejection against President Javier Milei and the relationship in check with Israel due to the war with Hamas were some of the most controversial and decisive movements of the first year of the government of Gustavo Petro in diplomatic terms.
The balance is complex: there were significant advances for the country and the region in commercial terms, but Petro also made important enemies for “reckless” and “unprofessional” management of the relationship with his peers and other powerful governments.
The biggest mole in the midst of these diplomatic messes was the disproportionate use of X (formerly Twitter), with a tone that was criticized by his opponents and even his allies.
It is enough to remember the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas, when the President called the Israeli government “genocidal” and “invader” with which Petro overstepped his bounds and neglected relations that represent 400,000 million dollars, which is what the total exchange between that nation and Colombia.
And not only that. Through that same social network, the Head of State has argued with other presidents, criticized the electoral results of a country and has even threatened to suspend diplomatic relations.
Venezuela and EE. UU.
Of all this, perhaps his greatest achievement—and at the same time his greatest criticism—was achieving the reestablishment of diplomatic and commercial relations with Venezuela in record time.
“It was surprising how quickly the Government acted in response to Venezuela. I believe that this is a success because there is a recommendation in commercial and political terms. Beyond the criticism for approaching a government like Maduro’s, it is a positive movement for the population and for commerce in Norte de Santander and the border,” analyzed expert Luis Fernando Vargas, coordinator of International Relations at Eafit University. .
However, the Government sinned by not forcefully condemning the Human Rights violations of the government of Nicolás Maduro. This was stated by the director of Human Rights Watch for the Americas, Juanita Goebertus, in dialogue with EL COLOMBIANO.
As Gobertus said, “the reestablishment of dialogues is the desirable path (…) but care must be taken not to validate a widely denounced regime.” Precisely for this reason, Petro’s position to demand democratic elections in Venezuela, with opposition candidates involved, will be crucial.
Regarding relations with the US, Vargas considers that “they have been handled in a relatively good way” and that “Ambassador Murillo has done a good job. Although it is not the ideal relationship” due to certain frictions.
A different case from China, with which Petro has strengthened important ties that will possibly be useful in the future but which, in turn, could scare the US.
But where there were definitely shortcomings was in the statement regarding other people’s crises. “We have in Colombia a president who is very reckless and who has made false steps, especially with the issue of conflicts such as that of Israel – Hamas and Russia – Ukraine,” said the internationalist Vargas.
But that, although it has cost him criticism and unpopularity, is an issue that worries Petro little, who has said that he has the right to “speak out on Human Rights violations.”
#Petros #diplomatic #relations