The president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, ratified Venezuela’s willingness to re-establish consular relations with Colombia in order to solve problems of binational interest.
From the Sucre parish, located in Caracas, he advocated for fluid ties between the two nations to resume cooperation on security matters, after the arrest of former Colombian congresswoman, Aída Merlano, in the national territory.
Merlano was arrested on Tuesday by officials of the Special Action Forces (FAES) of the Bolivarian National Police (PNB) in the El Milagro sector, Zulia state, and charged for the crimes of usurpation of identity, use of false documents and association to commit crime
The former Colombian congresswoman, requested with an Interpol red code, was convicted by the neo-Granadean justice for the crimes of aggravated crime, corruption to the suffragant and illegal possession of weapons, as well as for participating in a network to buy votes on the Caribbean coast.
“She escaped and was finally discovered here in Venezuela, but the Government of Duque – in his political fantasy of believing that there is an interim President in Venezuela – broke diplomatic and consular relations with the legitimate Government”, said the Dignitary.
Following the claim of Duque’s administration to request to the self-proclamated Juan Guaidó the extradition of Merlano, he called for the reflection of the Government of Colombia, so that “there is a great rectification.”
“Iván Duque: enough of follies, enough of so much ideological fanaticism, enough of so much political extremism, set your foot on the ground and let’s be pragmatic”, he emphasized.
The Head of State, who indicated that extremism harms the security of both nations, said that Aída Merlano is under the custody of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin).
