US and Venezuela negotiate status of American forces, joint drone strikes on ELN

The Trump administration is negotiating a status of forces agreement (SOFA) with Venezuela’s interim government that would allow permanent military cooperation between the two countries, the New York Times reported, according to a roundup by Foreign Exchanges. In a speech on Monday, Trump spoke of “our conquest of Venezuela.”

According to the same source, US and Venezuelan forces on Friday carried out a joint operation against the Colombian guerrilla group National Liberation Army (ELN) near the border with Colombia. At least 23 people were killed in the drone strikes, and some of the victims were reportedly civilians.

From Maduro’s ouster to military cooperation

SOFA agreements govern the legal status of foreign troops on the territory of a host state, including judicial jurisdiction. Signing one would formalise the US military presence in a country from which the United States removed Nicolás Maduro in January. Washington restored diplomatic relations with Caracas in March.

As early as January, following the US intervention, the ELN called for a “national accord” in Colombia, and Colombian and Venezuelan media reported during the year on plans for coordinated operations against the guerrillas along the border.

The negotiations are running in parallel with the political process in Caracas, where interim President Delcy Rodríguez has promised elections without setting a date, while opposition leader María Corina Machado is demanding that they be held next year.

The number of casualties and their status have not been independently confirmed.