Colombia Claims Foreign Minister Didn't Back Plan For Maduro To Hand Over Power, Was Misrepresented

The Colombian government rejected a recent report claiming that Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio said the administration would back a plan where Venezuelan authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro would hand over power to a transitional government.

"The information that has circulated in the past hours does not correspond to what was expressed by Foreign Minister Villavicencio, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement reported by local outlet Semana. It went on to say it respects international law and non-interference in foreign affairs and the sovereignty of other countries.

Bloomberg claimed in its report that Villavicencio said "Maduro would be inclined to accept" such a scenario if given guarantees that he would be safe from persecution.

"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," Villavicencio added, according to the outlet.

At the same time, Villavicencio warned against a U.S. intervention in the country as the Trump administration continues its military buildup off its coast. "Could trigger a humanitarian crisis that would be very difficult to manage," she added.

Tensions remain high in the region, especially after the Trump administration said during the weekend that it designated the Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist organization, potentially paving the way for military strikes against regime officials accused of leading the organization.

The Department of State said in a statement that the designation will go into effect on November 24, adding that the organization is "headed by Nicolás Maduro and other high-ranking individuals of the illegitimate Maduro regime who have corrupted Venezuela's military, intelligence, legislature, and judiciary."

"Neither Maduro nor his cronies represent Venezuela's legitimate government. Cartel de los Soles by and with other designated FTOs including Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel are responsible for terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe," the release added.

Trump has also approved CIA plans to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, which could potentially pave the way for broader military action inside the country, according to another report.