Macron-Maduro exchange at COP27: towards a warming of France/Venezuela relations?

Meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and Nicolas Maduro, in the corridors of COP27 in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Monday November 7, 2022. via REUTERS - MIRAFLORES PALACE

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French Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had a brief and warm conversation on Monday, November 8 on the sidelines of COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

A video of this meeting was released by the Venezuelan presidency.

This meeting is all the more noticeable as France still does not officially recognize Nicolas Maduro as President of Venezuela.

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Are we witnessing a spectacular rapprochement between Paris and Caracas?

It was in the corridors of COP27 that the two presidents met.

Very courteous, their exchange lasted barely two minutes.

The French president dodges his Venezuelan counterpart's question, but lets him know that he would be happy to talk to him further on the phone.

At one point, Emmanuel Macron calls Nicolas Maduro “ 

president

 ”.

Which is surprising, because officially France does not recognize him as the legitimate head of state of Venezuela.

Like the United States,

France still supports opposition leader Juan Guaido

as interim president, even though the latter has lost much of his political clout.

Wider diplomatic reversal? 

Emmanuel Macron's reaction to the one considered not so long ago as an outcast is part of a broader diplomatic reversal.

In 2019, the United States imposed a series of sanctions against Venezuela, including an oil embargo.

But with rising energy prices due to the war in Ukraine, Washington eased some of those sanctions.

"Presidente, yo lo voy a llamar, una vez esto pase" Macron a Maduro en la COP27


Vea aquí el diálogo completo entre los mandatarios venezolano y francés.@teleSURtv pic.twitter.com/fUkx2Oh1Ub

— Leonel Retamal Muñoz (@LeonelTeleSUR) November 7, 2022

The French president said last June that resources had to be sought elsewhere and that Venezuelan oil had to be put back on the market.

Words appreciated by Nicolas Maduro who, this Monday, November 7, did not hide his satisfaction at having been able to exchange a few words with Emmanuel Macron.

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  • Venezuela

  • France

  • Oil

  • Emmanuel Macron

  • Nicola Maduro

  • juan guaido