During his visit to Venezuela, Colombian President Gustavo Petro suggested to the United States that it provide an “economic stabilization” bonus to Venezuelan migrants who pass through Colombia on their way to the U.S. Petro made the announcement while standing next to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, emphasizing the need to reach an agreement with the United States on migration.
Although Petro did not offer specifics about the bonuses or when he made the proposal, he mentioned that the payments would enable families to return to their homeland. There are approximately 2.8 million Venezuelans residing in Colombia, a fraction of the 7 million who have left Venezuela since 2017 due to its prolonged economic crisis.
Petro expressed his belief that the exodus of Venezuelans should be redirected towards their country of origin. He stressed that migrants have the option to return to Venezuela or remain in Colombia. The Maduro administration claims that around two million individuals have left Venezuela, but the Venezuelan president did not address Petro’s proposal further.
Switching to another topic, Petro indicated that it is “very likely” for Colombia’s majority state-owned oil company Ecopetrol to collaborate with the Venezuelan state-run oil firm PDVSA in the exploration of oil and gas. He spoke of a “genuine energy integration between the two countries” without going into detail.
(Reporting by Vivian Sequera; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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