The Colombian Ambassador to Venezuela, Armando Benedetti, has proposed that the Colombian government of Gustavo Petro withdraw the trial against President Nicolás Maduro before the International Criminal Court, imposed by former Colombian President Iván Duque.

“I think so, what Duque did was a mistake in foreign relations,” the ambassador told international media when asked about the issue.

In September 2018, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court made public that the then governments of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru and Canada had requested the opening of an alleged investigation against the government of President Maduro for the alleged commission of crimes against humanity against the population since 2014 in the context of the violent protests led by the far right.

Regarding the unilateral and coercive measures that the United States maintains against Venezuela, Benedetti assured that the Colombian government is ready to contribute to the lifting of sanctions.

“We will plead. We have already done it in CAN and we are also with CAF looking for solutions”.

He added that Petro was not committed to “obeying or accepting the influence of the presidents of the United States, as other Colombian presidents have done.”

Similarly, Benedetti explained that he had told the economic advisers at the American Embassy “that any process had to go hand in hand with them. I have a meeting with the US Ambassador to Venezuela to discuss these issues,” he said.

The diplomat held important meetings this week with the Venezuelan head of state and his executive train.