Colombia-Venezuela tension increases

In an interview with newspaper El Tiempo published on February 1, Pastrana condemned the decision, declaring “a president does not need official authorization to visit a political prisoner”. In a subsequent interview with the newspaper he expressed his horror at the high number of political prisoners in Venezuela and condemned the alleged use of torture against protesting students. Pastrana also said “a humanitarian crisis is coming… and we need to call the government’s attention to the plight of Colombians [in Venezuela], who are being discriminated against when they try to buy basic goods”. These comments further complicated bilateral relations when Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin openly supported Pastrana’s stance. Holguin pointed to the increase in the number of Colombians being deported from Venezuela (296 in 2014) and highlighted the alleged maltreatment of Colombians by immigration authorities in Venezuela. More…