Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he had not decided whether to attend Colombian President-elect Juan Manuel Santos’ inauguration on August 7, El Espectador reports.
“The president-elect of Colombia keeps sending little messages. They say they sent an invitation to the inauguration, a verbal note. I don’t know if I will go to the inauguration of the new president of Colombia, it will have to be evaluated” Chavez said on the Venezuelan state television channel VTV. He added that the most important factor would be security.
Venezuela froze diplomatic ties and imposed trade sanctions on Colombia in July 2009, after Colombia announced that it would sign a military agreement with the U.S. allowing the North American country access to seven of its military bases.
Chavez also said he is willing to re-evaluate trade relations with Colombia. However, he insisted that “various issues” would have to be “put on the table” in order to reconsider the trade embargo.
On the other hand Colombian President-elect Juan Manuel Santos previously announced that “diplomacy and respect” would form the heart of his foreign policy, and stated his desire “to work hand in hand with neighboring countries to develop a joint agenda for cooperation and integration.”
Chavez responded “by their fruits ye shall know them.”
