Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó landed in Miami at dawn on Tuesday saying he was “thrown out” of Colombia, where President Gustavo Petro is hosting an international summit on its neighbor’s political crisis.
(Bloomberg) — Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó landed in Miami at dawn on Tuesday saying he was “thrown out” of Colombia, where President Gustavo Petro is hosting an international summit on its neighbor’s political crisis.
After what he described as 70 hours of travel, which included crossing into Colombia by foot, and carrying just a backpack, Guaidó said persecution against him by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had extended as far as Colombia.
Although Petro has pledged to guarantee asylum to Venezuelans, on Monday afternoon Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva said Guaidó had crossed the border without following the rules, and that Colombia would “comply with the law.” Petro has so far managed to maintain cordial relations with Maduro, as well as with the US.
Guaidó’s exit takes place just as Petro kicks off a summit in Bogotá of international leaders in a bid to unblock Venezuela’s political stalemate.
Official delegations from 20 countries, including the US and the European Union are attending.
Speaking to reporters in the early hours at Miami’s international airport, Guaidó said he expected the countries represented at Petro’s summit to speak up on behalf of Venezuelans’ human rights.
- Read More: Guaidó’s Escape From Venezuela Undermines Colombia Diplomacy
Petro, who never publicly welcomed Guaidó, met with a delegation of the Venezuelan opposition on Saturday evening, where he told them he hoped his summit could secure the release of political prisoners and set possible dates for presidential elections next year, according to officials in both countries.
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