Colombia on Sunday “energetically” condemned state violence targeting opposition forces in Venezuela on the day the neighboring country voted for a constituent assembly.
According to BBC News, at least 10 people were killed amid clashes between opposition protesters and security forces on Sunday.
Colombia, the United States and a number of other Latin American countries refuse to recognize the outcome of the vote that seeks to form an assembly in charge with drafting a new constitution.
European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said Monday that the assembly, “elected under doubtful and often violent circumstances, cannot be part of the solution.”
Violence broke out in several parts of Venezuela after opposition supporters ignored a government ban on public protests on the day of the vote that was boycotted by the opposition.
The growing economic and political crisis in the neighboring country is an increasing problem for Colombia, which has millions of nationals with dual nationality living in the so-called sister state.
In its harshest position opposing Venezuela’s increasingly authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro, Colombia’s Foreign Ministry said in a press release that the violence was part of “a systematic violation of Venezuelans’ human rights affected by the current crisis.”
The foreign ministry also reminded Maduro that Sunday’s vote is “rejected by millions of Venezuelans as well as the international community” and that the Colombian government refuses to recognize the outcome.
Colombia’s foreign ministry
The foreign ministry called on the Venezuelan government “to reestablish constitutional order” and renewed its call for “a negotiated political agreement that will create the basis to overcome the serious political, economic and social crisis in which the country is submerged.”
Colombia’s foreign ministry
The relationship between Colombia and Venezuela has deteriorated ever since Maduro took office in 2013 after the death of his predecessor and mentor, the late President Hugo Chavez.
The Venezuelan president on multiple occasions has responded with hostility to Colombian calls for dialogue.