Petro Biden met with a government delegation amid fears that Maduro would not respect “free” elections in Venezuela.

This Monday, February 5, the President of the Republic, Gustavo Petro, held a high-level meeting at the Casa de Nariño with the delegation of the United States Government of Joe Biden.

The meeting comes amid Nicolas Maduro’s threat to not honor agreements to allow free and democratic elections in Venezuela.

At the meeting, as reported by Casa de Narino, were United States Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Finer; White House Adviser for the Western Hemisphere, Juan Gonzalez, and, on behalf of the national government, Carlos Ramon Gonzalez, Director of the Department of the Presidency of the Republic, and the President of Colombia.

Biden’s delegation will seek the good offices of President Petro due to his good relationship with Nicolás Maduro to ensure free and democratic elections in the neighboring country.

Nicolás Maduro, the top leader of the regime in Venezuela, assured on Sunday, February 4, that he will win the 2024 presidential election, in the framework of a huge celebration of the anniversary of the failed coup attempt led by Hugo Chavez in 1992. .

however, What sparked the most controversy in his speech was his hint that he would win the election “by hook or by crook”.A message against democracy in the South American country.

This, along with the controversial phrase “by hook or crook” without specifying what methods he was referring to in his statement. Maduro said: “It’s been said, I won’t say more.”

Maduro’s statements came at a large gathering of his supporters held at the Miraflores Palace.

In Colombia, reactions were immediate. Catherine Miranda, representative of the Chamber for the Green Alliance party, asked the government of President Gustavo Petro to reject what the Venezuelan president said.

“I cannot believe the silence of Colombia after these statements of Maduro, saying that he will be re-elected by hook or by crook. Democrats should reject it,” Miranda said.

Maduro’s controversial statement comes days after that Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) to uphold political disqualification against opposition leader Maria Corina MachadoWhich suggests a hurdle to run in this year’s presidential elections, even though his coalition won the primaries comfortably.

Machado was disqualified for one year in 2015 for attending a meeting of the Organization of American States as Panama’s “alternate ambassador”., where he condemned alleged human rights abuses during protests that year and called for Maduro to “depart” and leave 40 dead. But the approval was extended to 15 years last June at the height of his primary campaign.

The TSJ’s political-administrative chamber upheld the comptroller’s office’s arguments to acquit the 56-year-old liberal politician of “participation in a corruption conspiracy” linked to leader Juan Guaido, who is recognized as president by the United States. Between 2019 and 2023, with the management of constrained resources overseas.

Machado, who denies the allegations, also maintains that she was “never” informed of the administrative act and was unable to defend herself.. The opposition delegation at the negotiating table demanded that the decision be withdrawn and announced that it would denounce the situation to Norway as well as to the governments involved in the negotiation process.

The opposition leader said she would continue her candidacy despite the disqualification imposed by Chavismo And told the president that the best thing he could do was to sit down and negotiate with them.

“They cannot hold elections without me (…). They will make every effort to stop my candidature. Nicolás Maduro is not going to choose the people’s candidate, because the people have already chosen who their candidate is,” Maria Corina Machado said at a press conference.

The United States’ response was strong, though not precise: it reminded the Maduro government of a deadline to comply with conditions for democratic elections; If not, economic sanctions against Venezuela will be reinstated.