Colombian President Gustavo Petro and His Officials Have Traveled More Than 70 Times to Venezuela and Cuba in Two Years

The data was released by Congressman Hernán Cadavid in a report denouncing the “toxic leadership” of the president

The President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro / Europa Press

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Madrid, October 16, 2024 — The Colombian Government of Gustavo Petro has made more than 70 trips to Cuba and Venezuela in two years without revealing, in many of those cases, the reasons. The data was released by congressman Hernán Cadavid, of the Democratic Center opposition party, in a report on his social networks, in which he denounces the president’s “toxic leadership.”

In his report, Cadavid points out the “governability crisis” and “instability” within the Executive, through which “more than 124 deputy ministers have passed since August 7.” This is one of the causes of “the very low budget execution and the very high inefficiency” of the current Administration in Colombia.

Cadavid also states that the highest officials of the Executive have traveled abroad more than 855 times, including 50 trips to Venezuela and 21 to Cuba. “What is their purpose with those dictatorships?” the politician wonders in a video on X. He also says that he made 123 formal requests in order access the information; even so, the reasons for many of those trips are unknown.

Cadavid points out the “governability crisis” and the “instability” within the Executive, through which “more than 124 deputy ministers have passed since August 7”

Most of them have been carried out by the Colombian president himself, by the vice president, Francia Márquez, by members of the Ministry of Commerce and the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace.

Petro’s trips to Cuba have been known because of the peace talks with the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN), in which Havana acts as a mediator. This is also one of the reasons, according to Blu Radio, why the Colombian president has traveled to Venezuela; for example, in January and November of last year.

Recently, in addition, Colombia reached an agreement with Cuba to provide eggs, one of the most expensive and scarce foods on the Island.

On the other hand, Petro has tried to mediate in the crisis in Venezuela after the presidential elections, in which Nicolás Maduro proclaimed himself a winner and which have been denounced as fraud by the opposition and much of the international community. Last month, the Colombian president said that neither his country nor Brazil would recognize Maduro’s victory if the detailed polling place results of the July 28 elections are not presented.

Translated by Regina Anavy

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