Would 'take up arms': Colombian president amid Trump's threats

After US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Monday (Jan 5) he would "take up arms". These remarks come after his US counterpart Donald Trump threatened the country. Petro has been targeted by the US president for months and now taken to his social media to write, "I swore not to touch a weapon again... but for the homeland I will take up arms again."

The Colombian president has criticised America for the military action against Venezuela. In a collective statement by the governments of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, and Spain, he highlighted, “We express our deep concern and rejection of the military actions carried out unilaterally on Venezuelan territory, which contravene fundamental principles of international law, in particular the prohibition of the use and threat of force, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. These actions constitute a perilous precedent for peace and regional security and endanger the civilian population.”

“We reaffirm the character of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace, built on mutual respect, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and non-intervention, and we call for regional unity, beyond political differences, in the face of any action that jeopardises regional stability,” the statement added.

Petro stated that the situation in Venezuela must be resolved exclusively through peaceful means, through dialogue, negotiation, and respect for the will of the Venezuelan people in all its expressions, without external interference, and in accordance with international law. We reaffirm that only an inclusive political process, led by Venezuelans, can lead to a democratic, sustainable solution that respects human dignity.