"5000 Soldiers in Colombia": The Striking Message in the Notebook of John Bolton, US Security Advisor, in Venezuelan Crisis

Was it accidental or was it premeditated?

A brief note in the white house security advisor's notebook, John Bolton, drew attention on Monday.

Bolton had met in Washington with other US officials to announce a train of sanctions against the Venezuelan state-owned company PDVSA, with the aim of pressuring President Nicolás Maduro for him to transfer power to the United States. opposition or call new elections.

And by answering questions from the press, the photographers took a picture that sparked controversy.

The manuscript in black ink on the yellow background of the official's notebook could read: "5,000 soldiers in Colombia".

During the meeting, Bolton made no mention of sending soldiers to this country of South America, but this message in the notebook sparked speculation.

However, a Defense Department official said that there was no plans to send troops to South America and the Colombian government said it was not necessary to send troops to South America. was unaware of sending American troops.

On the same side

Colombia is one of the main allies of the United States in the region. Both are on the list of nations that recognize the opposition, Juan Guaidó, as the president in charge of Venezuela and demand the holding of new elections in the country.

On January 23, Guaidó, head of the National Assembly, proclaimed himself "president in charge" of the South American country and called for mbad protests against Maduro, accused by the opposition and a large part of the international community to have "usurped" political power a little transparent elections.

President Donald Trump himself said last week that "all options" were "on the table" when it came to supporting the transition of powers in Venezuela.

And Bolton urged the Venezuelan army to support Guaidó.

"We call on the Venezuelan armed and security forces to accept the transition of peaceful, democratic and constitutional power," he said.

However, a US official who requested anonymity told French AFP that Washington "does not intend to support any" possible troop deployment to Colombia, whose territory borders Venezuela through a land border of just over 2,000 kilometers.

The official notebook also said "Afghanistan: Negotiations are welcome", a reference that some have mentioned about the potential progress of White House talks with the Taliban.

What did Colombia say?

Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo spoke of the controversy in a message posted on Twitter.

"Regarding the mention of Colombia in the notebook that Mr. John Bolton had in his hands, the scope and reason for this annotation are unknown," he said.

Trujillo said that Colombia would continue to act on the part of the political and diplomatic spheres on the situation in Venezuela, seeking to restore the democratic and institutional order of the neighboring country.

"The Lima group instructed President Juan Guaidó to carry out the process of restoring the institutional and democratic order in Venezuela," he added.

Of the countries that make up the regional integration entity, Mexico is the only one to maintain its support for Maduro.

The Foreign Minister also said that Colombia "will continue its ongoing dialogue with the United States on all matters of common interest and cooperation with this friendly country on bilateral, continental and global issues".

Some Colombian officials promptly asked President Ivan Duque for explanations on Bolton's suggestive annotations.

However, the President has not ruled so far.