Lopez Obrador says he did not speak with Petro about Venezuela

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador denied on Wednesday that he had spoken with his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, about the Venezuelan elections and did not clarify whether he would speak with him and with Brazilian Lula Da Silva, as Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo had anticipated.

“No, there was no talk, just to say that he is my friend, I appreciate him, I respect him,” said the president during his morning press conference.

The Mexican leader was asked about the “probable” virtual conversation that Murillo said on Tuesday the three leaders would hold this Wednesday with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, to express their positions regarding the crisis that the South American country is facing after the elections on July 28.

The president, however, stated that he respects and loves the people of Colombia “very much” and also expressed his admiration and respect for President Petro who, he reiterated, “is under strong pressure” because he has been criticized for his silence. in the face of the Venezuelan crisis.

“Pressure from those who felt they owned Colombia, what was happening here (in Mexico), except that here we have made more progress, he has made progress, but it is more difficult,” he said.

He sent a “strong hug” to Petro and the Colombian people and recommended that they take advantage of the time “to change things, to transform,” and called for resistance.

“Because the oligarchs, the privileged do not want any change, they are very selfish and let us not forget: the conservative is very hypocritical (…) he suffers from amnesia, he forgets what they do when they govern and, suddenly, they shake themselves and want to present themselves as white doves and champions of freedom, and champions of democracy and champions of justice,” he reproached.

The last time the Mexican president commented on the crisis in Venezuela was on August 23, one day after the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) of that country ratified the victory of the current Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, although López Obrador has not yet recognized the victory.

Petro and Lula have tried to mediate in the crisis that has been brewing in Venezuela since the electoral body announced Maduro’s controversial victory in the July 28 vote.

The crisis in Venezuela worsened on Monday with the arrest warrant requested by the Prosecutor’s Office against former opposition presidential candidate González Urrutia, an ally of María Corina Machado, the opposition leader.