Colombia’s Petro advices Venezuela to choose democracy over repression

(MENAFN) Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called on Venezuela to rely on “more democracy, not more repression” to protect the nation amid growing regional tensions, as stated by reports. He emphasized that political inclusion and a national pact, rather than military measures, are crucial for the country’s defense.

In comments shared on the social media platform X on Wednesday, Petro said Maduro’s administration must understand that “the response to an external aggression is not just military mobilization but a democratic revolution.”

“It is with more democracy that a country is defended, not with more inefficient repressions,” he wrote, advocating for a “general amnesty, not extending the prison.”

Petro drew a historical parallel, noting that European nations defeated Nazi Germany through broad political and social agreements that expanded workers’ rights, social security, and economic participation after the war. He added that soldiers from the US, Soviet Union, and European resistance movements fought “because they knew there would be a more democratic society in Europe.”

“More democracy is the problem in Venezuela,” Petro continued, urging the formation of a transitional government that encompasses “all and everyone.”

He stressed that Venezuela, which he called “Bolivar’s homeland," must resist “foreign invasion, empty rhetoric or soul prisons,” asserting that its defense requires “more democracy and sovereignty.”

The opposition in Venezuela has claimed that last July’s presidential election, which secured Maduro a third term, was rigged. The US, which has deployed military assets in the Caribbean and accused Maduro of trafficking lethal drugs, rejected the election results.

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