On Sunday (12), the secretary-general of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – People’s Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP), Jorge Arreaza, reprehended the request of former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe for military intervention in Venezuela. According to Arreaza, if a Venezuelan leader called for intervention in another country, there would be a strong response.
The secretary-general of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America - Trade Treaty for the Peoples (ALBA-TCP), Jorge Arreaza, on Sunday (12) rejected the request for military intervention in Venezuela made by the former president of Colombia, Álvaro Uribe. According to Arreaza, if a Venezuelan leader called for intervention in another country, there would be a strong response.
“If a national leader in Venezuela called for military intervention against any country in the world, institutions would act immediately. It's a serious crime that, since it targeted a neighboring country, endangers the peace and stability of Colombia itself,” said ALBA's secretary general.
On Saturday, former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe called for his country's government to intervene militarily in Venezuela to impose “new elections”. In a speech to his supporters in Cúcuta, a city bordering Venezuela, he called Maduro a “coup plotter and dictator.”
“Let this coup plotter know that what we stand for is an international military intervention with the Venezuelan army to oust the dictatorship. We call for international intervention, preferably supported by the United Nations, to remove these tyrants from power and immediately call free elections,” he said.
On Monday (13), Álvaro Uribe once again spoke about Venezuela on his X profile. This time, the former president cited Article 350 of the Venezuelan Constitution to instigate “civil disobedience.” According to this section of the Magna Carta, “the people of Venezuela will disregard any regime, legislation or authority that contradicts democratic values, principles and guarantees.”
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro also responded to Uribe. During the International Antifascist Festival, Maduro called the Colombian politician a “coward” and said that he would wait for him “on the battlefield.” The speech was made during the festival’s closing ceremony, held the day after the long-time Chávez supporter was inaugurated for a third term.
“Álvaro Uribe Vélez, sad paramilitary and drug trafficker, murderer and criminal, was today calling for military intervention in Venezuela. You coward. Come in front of the troops, Álvaro Uribe, I'll wait for you on the battlefield, you coward, petty fascist. [You] Criminal, drug trafficker,” said Maduro.
Colombia’s current President Gustavo Petro responded to Uribe's speech by asking the political sector that supports the former president to “stop thinking about killing our brothers."
Uribe and Venezuela
Uribe has a historical rivalry with Chavism, dating back to his time in charge of Colombia, from 2002 to 2010. Former Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez broke diplomatic relations with Colombia during Uribe's last year in office. Bogotá had denounced the existence of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, in Spanish) and National Liberation Army (ELN, in Spanish) camps in Venezuela to the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS).
Maduro inherited this conflictual relationship and has been denouncing, since the beginning of 2024, a plot by the former president of Colombia against Venezuela. In April last year, the Venezuelan president even said that Uribe and the founder of the Venezuelan opposition party Popular Will (Vontade Popular, in Spanish), Leopoldo López, planned “terrorist attacks” against Venezuela. According to the president, the plans were being articulated by paramilitaries to be carried out on the border with Colombia.
The Venezuelan president affirmed that the plans would be carried out in locations around the state of Zulia. The aim was to attack public services during the electoral period. Maduro called for “maximum alert” from the country's Armed Forces and intelligence services for “peace and security in Venezuela.”
“I was informed that Leopoldo López has met with other terrorists like Álvaro Uribe Vélez, and they are preparing to attack the states of Zulia and Táchira with terrorists, paramilitaries and to attack public services,” Maduro said at the time, before the July 28 elections.
Edited by: Leandro Melito
