Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza congratulated Colombia and Venezuela for re-establishing bilateral ties during a press conference in Bogota Tuesday.
Alluding to the two leaders’ agreement to normalize relations, at a meeting on August 10, Insulza said the resolution was “very good news.”
“The tasks we have to address in Latin America, for example combating drug trafficking and illegal armed groups, are obviously better achieved when there are good relations between countries,” Insulza said.
The secretary general, who arrived in Bogota Tuesday as part of a tour of Latin American and the Caribbean, met with Colombian Vice President Angelino Garzon to discuss the defense of human rights, international humanitarian law, the fight against corruption and the promotion of youth politics in Colombia.
“We paid special attention to the issue of human rights,” Insulza said following the meeting. “Colombia has always had a very open attitude to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights … and that is going to continue.”
Insulza said the OAS supports Colombia’s efforts to achieve peace in its internal conflict. He will meet Wednesday with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and other high ranking Colombian officials including Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin and Congress President Armando Benedetti.
Insulza leaves Colombia for Haiti on Thursday.