President Gustavo Petro's announcement to reinforce the border with Venezuela with 25,000 troops unleashed a wave of criticism across the national political spectrum. One of the criticisms that caused a stir on social media was that of former Congressman Ernesto Macías, who on social media described the president's decision as a clear attempt to protect dictator Nicolás Maduro.
“ I requested the militarization of the Catatumbo border on the Venezuelan side, in order to reduce the mafia's forces as much as possible. I have ordered the Colombian army to increase the number of troops in the Colombian Catatumbo. We have 25,000 soldiers in the area. It is not the land that wins over the mafia, it is the coordination between the two states that achieves it,” Petro expressed in his X profile, this being the message of discord.
In response to his announcement, the former president of the legislature did not hesitate to respond to Petro and associate him with the illegal network that, according to him, governs on the other side of the border. This was especially true when the Colombian president cited a report from the Russian news agency Sputnik, in which they replicated a testimony from an alleged former CIA agent who stated that the so-called Cartel of the Suns would be an excuse to invade Venezuela.
“Definitely, Maduro commands Petro. He ordered him to send troops to the border and Petro obeyed. Every day Colombia hurts us more. We are in the power of the leader of the Cartel of the Suns. Literally,” Macías stated on the social network X, in which he accused Petro of being an ally of the head of the regime, who is being pressured by the United States government to leave power, with a significant deployment of troops.
Two days ago, on August 26, Macías had spoken out about the US incursion. “The fall of the narco-dictator and his associates in the region, along with the dismantling of the drug cartels (Los Soles, ELN, FARC), will be the best thing for Colombia. The United States orders a new military deployment near the coast of Venezuela,” the former head of Congress stated on digital platforms, where he attacked Petro.
Representative Katherine Miranda also echoed her remarks."While Colombia bleeds from violence, Petro deploys 25,000 soldiers to Catatumbo to please Maduro. Serious! Our army must defend Colombians, not be a pawn on the Venezuelan dictatorship's chessboard," said the parliamentarian from the Green Alliance party, which has declared itself in opposition to the executive branch.
Nicolás Maduro thanked Petro for the 25,000 men who will guard the border.
In response to these criticisms from Macías, it is worth highlighting that the head of the regime, Maduro, in a military event in which he appeared dressed in camouflage, thanked Petro for the measures he will carry out in the Catatumbo region of Colombia, as part of what would be the implementation of the binational zone: a strategy that was understood by Petro's opponents as an alliance with the Venezuelan dictatorship.
"I would like to thank the president of Colombia, our sister Colombia, with whom we share a single flag, yellow, blue and red, the banner of the liberating armies, the Mirandine flag that was born in Haiti, Colombia with which we share the same sword, the same father, Bolívar," said Maduro in one of the sections of his speech, in which he applauded the support given from Colombia in the face of the American threat.
According to the regime's leader, the coordination of binational zone number one is progressing successfully." For the good of sovereignty, peace, and the future prosperity of our border towns. We, Venezuelans and Colombians united for peace, watch over our land, we preserve it," added the dictator, who began a new term on January 10, declared illegitimate by the international community.
