Venezuela appoints new ambassador to Colombia

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s National Assembly on Thursday approved the appointment of Carlos Eduardo Martinez, a former soldier, as the country’s new ambassador to Colombia, after Caracas’ former top diplomat to Bogota stood down in January.

The Venezuelan government appointed its first ambassador, Félix Plasencia, to Colombia in August 2022 as ties between the neighboring countries strengthened after President Gustavo Petro was inaugurated in Bogota.

Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, had pledged to normalize diplomatic relations with Venezuela following years of tensions between the two countries.

Plasencia stood down as ambassador in January to become general secretary of ALBA, a bloc of leftist countries in the region.

Martinez is a former brigadier general and represented the Venezuelan government during the first round of peace talks between Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group. The National Assembly, which confirmed his appointment, is controlled by Venezuela’s ruling party.

Martinez previously served as secretary of Venezuela’s defense council, director of the presidency, and director of state-owned oil company PDVSA, as well as Venezuela’s ambassador to Argentina.

Caracas broke off relations with Bogota in early 2019 after members of Venezuela’s opposition tried to cross into the country from Colombia with trucks full of food and medicine.

Diplomatic and trade relations began a process of normalization in September 2022.

(Reporting by Deisy Buitrago and Vivian Sequera; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Leslie Adler)