Venezuela, Colombia cancel Petro-Rodriguez meeting citing ‘force majeure’

Venezuela and Colombia cancelled a meeting of their presidents slated for Friday without explanation, an encounter that would have been the Venezuelan leader’s first with a foreign counterpart since she replaced ousted predecessor Nicolas Maduro in January.In a joint statement on Thursday, Venezuela and Colombia attributed cancellation of the meeting between Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez and Colombian President Gustavo Petro to “force majeure,” a term meaning extraordinary or unforeseeable circumstances. But they gave no details, saying they intended to reschedule soon.

News of the cancellation followed a phone call on Thursday between Petro and US President Donald Trump, who wished Petro success in the meeting with Rodriguez, according to a ‌statement from Petro’s office.
“The governments of Colombia and Venezuela reiterate their willingness to strengthen trust, cooperation, and bilateral relations by promoting opportunities for the development and integration of border territories,” the statement by the two countries said.Petro and Trump discussed the economy along the Colombia-Venezuela border, which was expected to be the top topic at the Petro-Rodriguez meeting, the statement from Petro’s office said.

Trump has supported a series of moves by Rodriguez, formerly Venezuela’s vice president, to attract investors in oil and mining and stabilise the country since the US raid that captured Maduro, with Trump repeatedly praising Rodriguez for her cooperation with the US.