Colombia Scandal: Diplomats Evidence Plot Against Venezuela

The release of the audios of the conversation between Ambassador Francisco (Pacho) Santos and Foreign Minister Claudia Blum in a Washington restaurant, has caused a national uproar in Colombia, according to daily Semana. Proof is that President Ivan Duque, himself, has asked the Ambassador to travel to Bogota to personally discuss the issue.

RELATED:

Colombia: Workers Denounce Raids on Organizations Before Strike

During the controversial dialogue, revealed by Publimetro, Santos criticized Government of President Donald Trump, ex Colombian chancellor Carlos Holmes, some decisions of Duque, as well as the strategies that should continue to be used against Venezuela.

The evidence of their talk damages the image of the current government of Colombia and it shows cracks in its foreign policy and divisions and competencies between the “Uribismo” records for the presidential elections of 2022.

Santos criticized the outgoing Defense Minister, Guillermo Botero, who had to resign from his position after a debate in Congress, where senator Roy Barreras revealed that he had hidden the death of at least eight children during a bombing dissenters from the FARC in Caquetá. “I don't have a partner in Defense because Botero didn't work,” he said.

However, Blum expressed concerned that the most important country for her, at the moment, is the United States, now that 2020 presidential elections are close; because U.S president “is going to get worse against drugs, migration and Venezuela.” She also acknowledged that “people no longer believe, the humanitarian aid was a fiasco," he tells Santos.

“Trump is not going to go to Venezuela. But if this man (Nicolás Maduro) does not leave, Colombia has no future. If this man does not leave, he will make our lives impossible,” Santos confessed. "The only solution I see is covert actions there, to generate noise and support the opposition that is very lonely there."

In that sense, the Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Jorge Arreaza, spoke up and said that after the changes made by the Colombian Government there is no point in believing that a transformation in Colombia's diplomacy will occur since the disclosure of the audios only confirmed the complicity of interference with the internal affairs of Venezuela.

In the controversial conversation, the ambassador also mentions to Blum that the U.S State Department is destroyed to which the new chancellor responds that there are all kinds of movements so she will not waste time in such fights.

In addition, Santos makes an overview of Blum, who has not yet taken office, and explains about the U.S. political world, and what their priorities should be in front of the chancellery.

"I want them to know you," Santos tells Blum, emphasizing, that they will set up a strategic agenda because her predecessor did nothing since he had no strategy, the media highlights.

"Holmes had no strategy at the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he also started running and making appointments in the United States, but then canceled them," Santos told Blum.

After the revelation of the recording, the confusion in Colombia's foreign policy, the divisions and competition among its political leaders, and the practices promoted by the Colombian government to interfere in Venezuelan affairs are evident.