The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela exhorted, in a statement, the administration of Ivan Duque to «address the very serious security crisis suffered by his people,» after the attack perpetrated in Amazonas state by Colombian armed groups, which charged with the life of three members of the Bolivarian National Guard; a consequence of the «inability and inaction of the Colombian government before the flagrant operations of violent groups of that country».
Read the statement from the Ministry of People’s Power for Foreign Affairs:
«The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has had knowledge of a Communiqué published yesterday 05/11/2018, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Colombia where it expresses condolences for the reprehensible murder of military personnel of the National Guard Bolivarian by Colombian armed groups. In this regard, it is the duty of the State to express the following:
– Although the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela values the expressions of solidarity referred to in the Colombian communiqué, it complies with the fact that this kind of events, which are increasingly recurrent on the common border, are a consequence of the manifest inability and inaction of the Colombian Government against the flagrant operations of violent groups in that country, whose actions have caused, as in this opportunity, incalculable human and material losses for more than 60 years to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
– For the Government and society of Venezuela it has been for decades an onerous burden to have enormous human, economic and financial resources to guarantee their security, trying to avoid the permanent overflow of violence, drug trafficking and criminality that originate, develop and multiply in Colombia. It is also an unprecedented folly in the bilateral relationship, the repeated refusal and unwillingness of the new Government of Colombia to establish and respect the corresponding and indispensable diplomatic and institutional channels, in order to coordinate the necessary actions in the joint treatment of common problems in the border area.
– The Bolivarian Government demands the government of Colombia to take conscience and dedicate itself to take care of the very serious security crisis suffered by its people. Venezuela reiterates that it will always be at the service of Colombia to cooperate in the achievement of a lasting peace and in the coordination of actions, under the principle of differentiated responsibilities, with the objective of guaranteeing a safe and stable common border.»
