Juan Guaidó traveled this Monday from Colombia to Miami. As reported to CNN by a source close to the Venezuelan opposition leader, the politician boarded a plane of the Colombian airline Avianca at 11:00 pm, local time.
Although many were those who claimed that this crossing was, in reality, an expulsion by Colombia, the Colombian Foreign Ministry assured that this was not the case. The politician, they sstated in a press release,"was in Bogota in an irregular manner." For that reason, Colombian Immigration escorted Guaidó to El Dorado airport with the intention of "verifying his departure on a commercial airline to the United States." However, they reported that the Venezuelan politician was not expelled from Colombia, but that he had purchased the ticket himself hours before his departure:
In the afternoon, Migration Colombia took Mr. Juan Guaidó, a Venezuelan national who was in Bogotá in an irregular manner, to El Dorado airport in order to verify his departure on a commercial airline to the United States during the night. The ticket had already been purchased by him. It is not true then that the national government has arranged a plane to transfer Mr. Guaidó to that country. Migration Colombia is attentive to ensure that this trip takes place without any delay.
Comunicado de prensa | En horas de la tarde @MigracionCol condujo al señor Juan Guaidó, de nacionalidad venezolana que se encontraba en Bogotá de manera irregular, al aeropuerto El Dorado con el ánimo de verificar su partida en una aerolínea comercial a EE.UU, durante la noche 👇
— Cancillería Colombia (@CancilleriaCol) April 25, 2023
Juan Guaidó made his own statement shortly after the Colombian Foreign Ministry issued the press release. According to his tweet, he was leaving the country because of "the direct threats" to his loved ones, which, he said, "extended to Colombia":
Because of the direct threats to my family and daughters from the Maduro regime, which extended to Colombia, I am taking this flight. Until we achieve free elections in Venezuela we will continue to fight. Tomorrow I will give you more details.
Por las amenazas directas a mi familia e hijas del régimen de Maduro, que se extendieron a Colombia, estoy tomando este vuelo. Hasta lograr elecciones libres en Venezuela continuaremos luchando. Mañana les daré más detalles. pic.twitter.com/atam1f4n6E
— Juan Guaidó (@jguaido) April 25, 2023
Guaidó traveled to Colombia to participate in a summit on Venezuela
The Venezuelan opposition leader took that flight after fleeing on foot hours earlier to Colombia. According to Guaidó in a press release, he was doing so to participate in the summit that President Petro was organizing in the country on Venezuela: "They want to silence my voice and that is something I do not consent to," he said in his statement.
Colombian Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva said in statements published by Infobae, that contrary to rumors that had arisen, he had not invited Guaidó to participate in the summit:
It is not that they do not want to participate, they are not invited. It was reported by some networks that I had invited him, but I do not know Guaidó, I have not had contact with him and naturally, if he does not show up he runs risks.
