The former Bolivian and Colombian presidents, Jorge Quiroga and Andrés Pastrana, met with Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, to confront the Venezuelan crisis.
They expressed to him their concern regarding Nicolás Maduro's most recent blow: he summoned elections for the only institution where the opposition is a majority. The former presidents see it as a maneuver to secure Maduro in power.
ANDRÉS PASTRANA
Former President of Colombia
'Today in Venezuela we know that there is a narco-dictatorship, and as Colombians, that is concerning for us. The problem has to be resolved.â?
JORGE QUIROGA
Former President of Bolivia
'The Vatican has a tremendous moral and political weight. Its position, with Cardinal Parolin, including the Holy Father, could be decisive in redirecting Venezuela to the path of democracy.â?
The former presidents of Bolivia and Colombia come as a delegation from the organization IDEA, which contains 37 former presidents from Latin America and Spain. In recent months, they have exchanged several letters with the Vatican Secretary of State, particularly after the negotiation failure between Venezuela's government and opposition parties.
All of the countries in Latin America have their eyes set on the country. Its instability can have serious consequences in neighboring countries such as Colombia, as it is triggering a major refugee crisis.
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