Overview
- The Caracas meeting, held Friday, produced commitments to share intelligence and draft joint military plans to confront armed groups on the 2,200‑kilometer Colombia–Venezuela frontier.
- Leaders said the effort will target “mafias” tied to cocaine, illicit gold, human trafficking, and rare minerals, with special focus on the Catatumbo region where rival guerrilla factions have displaced civilians.
- Both governments also advanced economic talks, including plans to shore up electricity supply in western Venezuela and explore gas links such as reopening the Antonio Ricaurte pipeline, with Colombia eyeing roles in Venezuela’s power sector.
- The summit followed a canceled March encounter in Cúcuta and weeks of technical work by binational teams on border, migration, consular, trade, and energy issues to prepare concrete steps.
- The visit was the first by a foreign head of state since the U.S. removed Nicolás Maduro in January, as Washington backs Delcy Rodríguez’s interim government and a new U.S. envoy arrived in Caracas to shape a path toward elections.