Colombia's foreign ministry issued a late-night statement on November 19 denying support for a Venezuelan transition plan, hours after Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio suggested the country would favour President Nicolás Maduro handing power to a transitional government.

"The information that has circulated in recent hours in the media about alleged Colombian support for a plan for a negotiated exit of Nicolás Maduro from power does not correspond to what Minister Villavicencio Mapy expressed," the ministry said, referencing an earlier Bloomberg interview conducted in Madrid. The ministry reaffirmed that Colombia respects international law, maintains non-interference in other countries' internal affairs and upholds Venezuelan sovereignty.

"Colombia and Venezuela maintain a historical relationship of respect, which cannot be affected by decontextualised information published in the media," the statement said.

Villavicencio had told Bloomberg that Maduro might consent to leaving office if guaranteed safety from prosecution. "Maduro would be inclined to accept it," she said. "He could leave without necessarily ending up in prison, someone else could come in to lead that transition and allow for elections that are legitimate."

The minister described the scenario as "the healthiest option" to avoid US military intervention, noting Colombia's team maintains contact with Venezuelan diplomats, though President Gustavo Petro has not spoken directly with Maduro. The rapid walk-back reflects Colombia's delicate positioning amid escalating regional tensions.

US President Donald Trump has deployed warships to the Caribbean whilst conducting air strikes on vessels labelled drug-trafficking operations, killing more than 80 people since September. Washington has also designated Venezuela's Cartel de los Soles, allegedly headed by Maduro, as a foreign terrorist organisation, with the listing taking effect on November 24.

Colombian authorities warned that any US intervention against Caracas — which analysts say is the true aim of the military buildup in the Caribbean — could trigger a humanitarian crisis and renewed migration surge. Nearly 3mn of the 8mn Venezuelans who have fled their country over the past decade now reside in Colombia, according to UNHCR data.

Relations between Colombia and the US have deteriorated sharply since Trump's second term began. The president branded Petro a "lunatic" and "illegal drug leader", revoked his visa and curbed aid. In turn, Petro has called Trump a "barbarian" perpetrating crimes against humanity by killing innocent fishermen. The White House claims the targets are transporting illegal drugs on small boats.

Last week, Petro ordered the suspension of intelligence sharing with Washington as long as missile attacks on alleged drug-carrying vessels in the Caribbean continued. The defence ministry subsequently backtracked, saying it would continue co-operation with all international agencies combating drug trafficking.

Bilateral ties between Colombia and Venezuela improved after Petro took office in August 2022. The leftist president restored diplomatic relations that had been severed in 2019 when his right-wing predecessor backed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, and reopened the shared 2,200-kilometre border.

However, the rapprochement faced strain over Venezuela's disputed July 2024 election, which was widely seen as fraudulent. While holding back from recognising opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as the winner, Petro had joined other foreign leaders in urging Maduro to release detailed vote counts, and alongside Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, proposed the election be repeated.