Venezuela and Colombia abruptly cancel planned presidents’ meeting, citing 'force majeure'

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CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The governments of Venezuela and Colombia on Thursday announced the cancellation of a highly anticipated meeting between their presidents planned for the following day at their shared border.

The talks were to be Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez’s first official meeting with a Latin American leader since she was sworn in January following the U.S. military operation to capture then-President Nicolás Maduro. Rodríguez and Colombian President Gustavo Petro were expected to address shared interests in border security, due to the presence of illegal armed groups associated with drug trafficking and the potential for Colombia to import Venezuelan natural gas.

In a joint statement released by Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, the governments attributed the cancellation to “force majeure,” which they did not explain, and said the meeting would take place at a later time.

The statement added that Petro maintains his invitation to Rodríguez to hold the presidential meeting and indicated that both governments remain committed “to strengthening trust, cooperation and bilateral relations.”

Shortly before Thursday’s announcement, Petro’s office said the Colombian leader had a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump in which he wished him “success” in his meeting with Rodríguez.