PFLP raises concerns over Venezuela’s renewed ties with ‘Israel’

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) has expressed grave concern over a statement by the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry announcing an agreement with “Israel” to continue bilateral technical cooperation and establish a mechanism for consular coordination between the two.

The PFLP stated that it views this step, particularly the opening of official channels for consular coordination and the continuation of bilateral cooperation, as exceeding a limited technical framework.

According to the front, the move “paves the way for rebuilding relations between Venezuela and Israel, opening the door to a path of normalization and re-normalization of relations with it, at a time when the Israeli occupation continues its genocide war and aggression against the Palestinian people.”

Venezuela departing from legacy of Bolivarian Revolution

The front further stated that this development raises serious questions regarding its consistency with “the historical legacy of the Bolivarian Revolution led by the immortal leader Hugo Chavez, and its principled positions against imperialism and Zionism and in support of the Palestinian people’s rights to freedom and self-determination.”

Finally, the PFLP affirmed its confidence in the Venezuelan people and the forces of the Bolivarian Revolution, and in their ability to preserve the independence of national decision-making and adhere to the legacy against “imperialism, Zionism and fascism,” and to continue standing with the Palestinian people and their just cause.

This comes amid a wider shift in Latin America, with several countries seeking closer ties with “Israel”, after Colombia announced its recognition of “Israel’s sovereignty” over the occupied Golan Heights.

Colombia joins US in recognizing Israeli “sovereignty” over Occupied Golan

Colombia has become the second country in the world, after the United States, to recognize Israeli “sovereignty” over Syria’s occupied Golan Heights, the Colombian Foreign Ministry said August 10.

“Given the ongoing regional instability in the Middle East and the strategic importance of the Golan Heights for Israel’s security, the Colombian government recognizes Israel’s sovereignty over this territory, as well as the state’s right to defend itself against external threats,” the ministry said.

The decision was issued under an agreement between Colombia and the Israeli regime on August 8, one day after the inauguration of President Abelardo de la Espriella, the ministry added.

This comes as the US gains more influence on both Colombia and Venezuela through numerous acts of interventionism.

Outgoing President calls out Israeli interference in elections

The recognition of Israeli sovereignty after the inauguration of Colombia’s president comes as no surprise when the president-elect has pledged to restore diplomatic relations with “Israel”, according to the source material.

It also coincides with renewed statements by outgoing President Gustavo Petro that Israeli entities played a role in manipulating Colombia’s presidential election through software that altered vote counts, stating that the president-elect lacks democratic legitimacy and raising questions over the political calculations behind Bogota’s swift decision.

In a statement, Petro stated that Israeli-developed software, financed through proceeds from cocaine trafficking to the United States and private Israeli intelligence funds, was used to replace legitimate votes cast by Colombian citizens, changing the outcome of the election in favor of right-wing candidate De La Espriella.

According to Petro, the software had been pre-installed within private companies responsible for processing election results and may have altered as many as 1.8 million votes.

He said that left-wing candidate Iván Cepeda had won the election based on the ballots cast at polling stations, but a different result was ultimately announced. Petro described the use of the Israeli software as a violation of Colombia’s national sovereignty.