While Colombian Defense Minister Luis Carlos Villegas said "the number of Venezuelans who have participated in actions by the National Liberation Army (ELN) is growing," his Venezuelan counterpart Nestor Reverol, the Minister of the Interior and Justice, has condemned the Colombian army's attempt to recruit Venezuelans into their ranks.
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On Friday, Reverol said: "these actions aim to justify an interventionist action that would violate our (Venezuelan) national sovereignty."
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro announced Wednesday that he would coordinate a meeting between Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez and Colombia's Foreign Ministry to discuss security issues for both countries.
Via Twitter, Maduro addressed Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos reminding him of their obligation to work for peace.
A day later, Colombian Defense Minister Luis Carlos Villegas confirmed in a press conference he held a telephone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart, General Vladimir Padrino, and that they've agreed to coordinate security plans at the border. The date for this meeting was not announced.
Usted @JuanManSantos como Presidente de derecha y yo como Presidente Bolivariano estamos obligados por la historia y nuestros pueblos a oírnos, a comunicarnos, a entendernos y trabajar por la Paz. No existe imperio en el mundo que acabe con la historia que une a nuestros Pueblos.
— Nicolás Maduro (@NicolasMaduro) February 16, 2018
"You @JuanManuelSantos as right-wing president & I as Bolivarian president are bound by history & our peoples to hear each other, communicate and work for Peace. There is no empire in the world that can undo the history that binds our peoples," Maduro said.
However, tension has been mounting between the two countries after Colombia's defense minister said intelligence agents found that an attack by the ELN carried out in late January was planned in Venezuela.
Shortly after, Venezuela’s interior and justice minister accused Colombia’s army of recruiting roughly 150 Venezuelans that could “create paramilitary groups highly indoctrinated with the capacity to move freely within Venezuelan territory.” Reverol ratified Maduro’s instructions to establish direct communication between the two nations defense ministers.