Iván Duque: "The immediate thing is that the usurpation ends in Venezuela and that the dictator comes out" – 17/02/2019

The President of Colombia, Iván Duque, was this week in the United States and the question of Venezuela He remained in the foreground throughout his visit. During his three-day tour, which included Washington, New York, and a White House summit with Donald TrumpDuque focused on humanitarian aid to Venezuelans and spoke of Argentina's role in the crisis and a possible mediation of Pope Francis. "I hope the Vatican will contribute to the best solution"says the Colombian Clarin.

Duke met Wednesday Trump in the oval room, where he was fundamentally coordinated the dispatch of aircraft of humanitarian aid to Venezuela and the relationship between the United States and Colombia was also discussed. The president then appeared before the Organization of American States (OAS), where he reiterated his support for the interim government of Juan Guaidó and called for free elections.

Look also

Clarin Bulletins

What happened today? We tell you the most important news of the day and what will happen tomorrow when you get up

Monday to Friday afternoon.

This is his first official visit to the United States, but Duque is moving like a fish in the water in Washington. He studied public policy in this city and worked for several years at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), an organization that also took the opportunity to visit these days.

Friday, he was in New York, where he highlighted the march of the Colombian economy in front of investors – this year they are aiming to get a growth of the economy above 3.4%, has he said – and he gave himself the pleasure of ringing the stock market. from Wall Street. In the middle of his busy schedule, the Colombian president answered a few questions: Clarin.

Look also

– How do you badess the role played by Argentina and President Mauricio Macri in the Venezuelan crisis?

– Firstly, I would like to underline the role played by President Macri, because, like him, the Chilean President Sebastián Piñera, the Peruvian Martín Vizcarra, the Brazilian Mario Abdo and many others have strengthened relations so that the diplomatic siege to be efficient. Macri not only actively participated in the Lima group, but also signed the complaint against Nicolás Maduro before the International Criminal Court, among others. I think his role has been decisive because President Macri shares the vision of a Latin America without dictatorships, shares the idea of ​​Venezuela's liberation from dictatorship and also recognized the role of Juan Guaidó and the National Assembly, a legitimate president and another as a legitimate body.

Look also

– And how do you think the Vatican is moving?

– I have a lot of respect for the Vatican. I have always had a respectful relationship and I believe that the Vatican has always helped to find alternatives. I have not spoken directly in recent days of a position different from that of the Vatican to the present day. The Vatican must always respect its dual condition, be a state, but also exercise a spiritual leadership function in many countries where there is a Catholic affinity and I hope that the Vatican will contribute to the best solution and the best solution is the rapid transition to democracy in Venezuela at the head of the institutions and the legitimate president.

Look also

– What future is Maduro waiting for? The International Criminal Court?

– I reported it to the ICC and other heads of state. This means that the ICC must investigate and judge it. I hope that the Court will decide quickly to start a trial and that this court – which was created in such a way that crimes against humanity do not go unpunished and that it can also have strong evidence of the systematic nature of the violations committed by this regime. – It must work. My call to the ICC is that it act. If Maduro leaves Venezuela and takes refuge in a country that is not a member of the ICC, to the extent that he and the country that takes him for refuge have to face all that will happen later. But the urgency, the important and the most immediate, is that the usurpation ends, the dictator goes away and that Venezuela can start rebuilding its future .

Look also