Colombia's leader visits Venezuela for key talks with acting President Delcy Rodríguez

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, on Friday welcomed Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, their first meeting since the U.S. military seized former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from their home in January.

The leaders were expected to discuss an extensive bilateral agenda, including migration, defense, border security, industrial cooperation and trade.

Petro and Rodríguez were expected to meet last month at their shared border, but their respective governments abruptly canceled the meeting citing “force majeure,” which they did not explain, and simply said it would take place at a later time.

Ahead of Friday’s meeting, Petro announced that his delegation, which includes top military and police officials, will tackle border security with Rodríguez.

The focus remains on the Catatumbo region, where rival armed groups fight for territorial control and Petro stressed the necessity of “close collaboration on intelligence,” warning that without it, “bombs land in the wrong places ... and end up killing civilians.”

Colombia-Venezuela ties have long been on the rocks. Petro did not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president in the wake of the contested July 2024 elections that triggered protests, which sparked widespread repression. Still, he maintained diplomatic ties with Caracas.

Colombia’s government has said that the Petro-Rodríguez meeting on Friday aims to “contribute to a resolution of Venezuela’s political crisis.”

However, it’s unclear how this can be achieved.

Ronal Rodríguez Durán, a researcher at the Venezuela Observatory at the Universidad del Rosario, said Petro’s leverage is limited regarding any potential mediation, given that his term ends in August. Future ties with Venezuela will likely also be influenced by who takes power next in Colombia.

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Colombian President Gustavo Petro arrives to meet Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Colombian President Gustavo Petro waves upon his arrival to meet Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez waves as she waits for Colombian President Gustavo Petro at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez, right, greets Colombian President Gustavo Petro upon his arrival at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Colombian President Gustavo Petro waves after his arrival to meet Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez at Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Police in Peru raided the homes Friday of the now-resigned elections chief and five other officials in an investigation into a ballot shortage and other irregularities in the first round of the presidential election on April 12.

Agents and prosecutors also raided the home of the legal representative of Galaga, a private company responsible for transporting election ballots to voting centers, anti-corruption police said on social media. Agents gathered mobile phones, documents and other evidence in the raids, police said.

Piero Corvetto resigned as the elections agency chief on Tuesday to take responsibility for the election shortcomings, and said in a letter to authorities that he was stepping down to “generate more confidence” in the runoff vote on June 7.

But Corvetto denied any wrongdoing.

Corvetto’s lawyer, Ricardo Sánchez, told a local radio station that Judge Manuel Chuyo had ordered the raid but rejected a prosecutorial request to take his client into custody.

The April 12 election had to be extended for an additional day after the agency failed to deliver voting materials to more than a dozen centers in Lima, a problem that prevented more than 52,000 people from casting their ballots on time.

The incident sparked criticism, most notably from the ultraconservative candidate Rafael López Aliaga who claimed, without providing evidence, that an “electoral fraud unique in the world” occurred in Peru, while labeling Corvetto a “criminal” and vowing to pursue him “until he dies.”

An electoral mission from the European Union urged political actors to refrain from violent rhetoric and has ruled out any indications of fraud.

With 95.1% of the ballots tallied, Keiko Fujimori, the conservative daughter of disgraced former President Alberto Fujimori, was leading the vote count on Friday with 17.05%, followed by nationalist Roberto Sánchez with 12.03%, and López Aliaga with 11.90%.

The Electoral Tribunal on Friday rejected demands for supplementary elections at polling stations affected by the logistical failures, labeling the move “unfeasible.” Though the request was spearheaded by López Aliaga and backed by Fujimori as “reasonable,” the tribunal urged all parties to act “responsibly,” reminding them that the electoral process has not concluded.

Peru’s electoral tribunal has announced a May 15 deadline to officially declare which two candidates will advance to the presidential runoff.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Police stand guard during a raid on the home of former National Office of Electoral Processes chief Piero Corvetto, who resigned after the April 12 general election, in Lima, Peru, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

Police conduct a raid on the home of former National Office of Electoral Processes chief Piero Corvetto, who resigned after the April 12 general election, in Lima, Peru, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)