According to a senior administration official who spoke with Reuters, U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to inform Colombian President Gustavo Petro during a White
House meeting on Thursday that the U.S. is open to further easing sanctions on Venezuela, but only if President Nicolas Maduro agrees to democratic reforms with the country’s opposition. The two leaders are also expected to discuss anti-drug cooperation, regional migration, and Petro’s peace efforts with rebel groups.
Although the United States has relaxed some of its sanctions on Venezuela since Biden took office, negotiations have reached a stalemate, and the U.S. has resisted taking any major additional steps for the time being. The Biden administration’s positive view of Petro’s hosting of an international conference on Venezuela has been tempered by Petro’s statements, such as his recent comments at the United Nations that the conference’s objective is “more democracy, zero sanctions.”
Biden plans to discuss these issues with Petro, as well as charting a new relationship with Colombia's first leftist president. The White House meeting will seek to renew historically strong ties between Washington and Bogota, and Colombia's warming relationship with neighboring Venezuela will also be discussed.
The senior official noted that lifting sanctions unilaterally would not benefit the Venezuelan people but instead would line the pockets of those who have already stolen billions of dollars from the country. The two presidents will likely discuss this issue, and the official expressed confidence that common ground could be found.
On the issue of anti-drug efforts, Petro has criticized the U.S.-led war on drugs, calling for a new international approach. It remains to be seen whether the two leaders can find common ground on this issue as well. The official did not reveal the level of U.S. participation in Petro’s upcoming international conference on Venezuela, stating that the U.S. is waiting for details before deciding whether to attend and at what level. Photo by Departamento Nacional de Planeación, Wikimedia commons.