Colombian President Gustavo Petro confirmed this Monday that dissident Chavista lawyer María Alejandra Díaz is in Colombia, after his government granted her diplomatic asylum on August 6.
(Read also: Unofficial: Venezuelan activist who took refuge in the Colombian Embassy in Caracas has reportedly managed to leave the country)
"Colombia is a country that guarantees political asylum," Petro wrote on X when commenting on the news that Díaz, according to what she said on that social network, is in the Andean country, after leaving,"in the company of part of the family," the residence of the Colombian Embassy in Caracas.
The lawyer, who was president of the Human Rights and Constitutional Guarantees Commission of the now-defunct Chavista National Constituent Assembly (ANC), stated in recent weeks that she was notified more than two months ago that"the Venezuelan government refused to grant a safe-conduct permit" because,"according to them," there was "no persecution."
Díaz, who last year denounced the National Electoral Council (CNE) for"failing to comply" with the law by failing to publish detailed results of the controversial victory of Chavista Nicolás Maduro in the 2024 presidential elections, called for respect for her"asylum status due to the danger posed by leaving the ambassador's residence without proper protection."
In this regard, the Colombian government confirmed on August 6 that it had granted asylum to the lawyer, who, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement at the time,"claimed to be a victim of politically and ideologically motivated persecution by the Venezuelan state."
On the other hand, in the same message that addressed Díaz's case, Petro advocated for the release of dozens of Colombians detained in Venezuela, accused of conspiring against the Maduro government and who, according to their families,"are not criminals."
"We await the return of all Colombians detained in Venezuela," the president stated. The Colombians were detained in different locations in the neighboring country over the past year, during which time their families have been virtually unable to communicate with them.
