Venezuela and Colombia on Thursday abruptly canceled a meeting between their presidents that had been scheduled for the following day at their shared border, according to an announcement involving Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Ministry. The governments said the talks would be rescheduled, but did not provide a reason beyond citing “force majeure.”
The meeting was to be Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodríguez’s first official meeting with a Latin American leader since she was sworn in in January after a U.S. military operation to capture then-President Nicolás Maduro, according to the Associated Press. Rodríguez and Colombian President Gustavo Petro had been expected to address shared interests in border security, including concerns about illegal armed groups associated with drug trafficking.
The planned agenda also included an energy component, with the talks expected to address the potential for Colombia to import Venezuelan natural gas. In the joint announcement, Venezuela’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said the meeting cancellation was due to “force majeure,” and it did not elaborate on what the term referred to.
The statement added that Petro maintains his invitation to Rodríguez to hold the presidential meeting, and it said both governments remain committed to “strengthening trust, cooperation and bilateral relations.” The governments said the meeting would take place later, without specifying when.
Shortly before the cancellation announcement, Petro’s office said Petro had a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump in which he wished Trump “success” in his meeting with Rodríguez. The AP reported the call occurred before Thursday’s announcement and highlighted the timing as the border meeting was called off.
In its notification, Venezuela and Colombia did not otherwise explain the cancellation, leaving the rescheduling timeline unclear even as the governments emphasized ongoing commitment to cooperation.