A meeting due to take place today between acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez and Colombian President Gustavo Petro was cancelled at the last minute.
Venezuelan authorities yesterday pulled out of the meeting, which was scheduled to take place on the two countries’ shared border, citing security reasons.
The encounter would have been Rodríguez’s first with a foreign leader since taking over from strongman Nicolas Maduro, who was ousted in a U.S. military operation in January.
The planned meeting was due to take place at the Atanasio Girardot International Bridge, which connects Colombia and Venezuela.
It had been initiated by Colombian authorities as an opportunity for the two leaders to discuss issues on the bilateral agenda, including interests in border security, drug trafficking and the potential for Colombia to import Venezuelan natural gas.
In a joint statement on Thursday, the Colombian and Venezuelan governments explained the cancellation was due to unforeseen circumstances but have not provided further details, reporting they intend to reschedule in the near future.
Following the cancellation of the planned presidential summit, ministers from Gustavo Petro’s administration travelled to Caracas to sustain diplomatic engagement and avoid disrupting recent progress in bilateral relations.
Their agenda centred on reviving cross-border trade, advancing energy collaboration — including potential repairs to the Antonio Ricaurte gas pipeline — and continuing coordination on security matters along the shared border.
The visit was intended to maintain momentum in cooperation, with relations between Colombia and Venezuela showing signs of improvement since Maduro’s ouster.
Venezuelans strike against Delcy Rodríguez’s regime
Shortly before yesterday’s cancellation of the planned meeting, protests were reported in Caracas demanding an increase in the minimum wage. Unconfirmed videos on social media purported to show elderly demonstrators breaking through police cordons during the demonstration.
Rodríguez was appointed acting president this year by Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice after the U.S. ousted strongman Nicolás Maduro and has served as the country’s vice president since June 2018.
In early March, Rodríguez publicly reaffirmed her government’s commitment to diplomatic dialogue with the United States as part of efforts to ease tensions following the U.S. military operation that captured former President Nicolás Maduro.
Featured image description: President Gustavo Petro at a cabinet meeting, October 22, 2025.
Featured image credit: @InfoPresidencia via X.
