Venezuela’s former opposition leader Juan Guaido went into exile in the United States after he was denied entry to Colombia.
Guaido’s surprisingly arrived in Colombia on Monday, claiming he wanted to meet with government delegations that were in Bogota for an international conference on Venezuela.
The Venezuelan politician was not invited to the conference and had crossed the border without a visa, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Consequently, migration officials escorted Guaido to Bogota’s El Dorada airport where he boarded a flight to Miami, the Foreign Ministry said in a press statement.
The politician said on Twitter he flew to Miami “because of the direct threats by the regime of [President Nicolas] Maduro to my family… that unfortunately extend to Colombia.”
Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva was evidently displeased with Guaido’s surprise less than 24 hours before the beginning on the conference with representatives of 20 governments from the Americas and Europe.
The government representatives will seek a solution to an ongoing political crisis ahead of elections expected to be held in Venezuela next year.