Readout of Vice President Pence's Call with the President of Colombia, Ivan Duque

Vice President Pence spoke by phone today with the President of Colombia, Ivan Duque, to express his most sincere condolences to the Colombian people and to the families of those killed and wounded in last week's heinous bombing at the General Santander Police Academy. The Vice President condemned the ELN terrorist group for organizing this attack against unarmed civilians, discussed the need for Cuba to repatriate ELN leaders to Colombia to be held accountable for these terrorist acts, and reaffirmed the United States' commitment to work with President Duque to enhance security ties and hold the those responsible to account. The two leaders also discussed events in Venezuela, including the historic protests for freedom and democracy that took place on the streets of Caracas today, and the dynamic leadership of the Venezuelan National Assembly to declare Juan Guaido as Interim President under the constitution. Vice President Pence and President Duque agreed that these courageous acts have given the Venezuelan people new hope for a better future, and that the international community must act decisively to seize this opportunity for a peaceful transition to democracy in Venezuela. Both leaders commended the 13 countries from across the region that have already recognized Juan Guaido as Interim President, and committed to expand the diplomatic effort in support of Venezuelan democracy.