"Surprisingly, his presence here [in Colombia] became known due to the fuss that he himself had made, [saying that] he would participate in the conference, and so on. Naturally, the migration service immediately inquired what had happened," Duran told reporters on the sidelines of the International Conference on the Political Process in Venezuela.
"Finally, it was established via a high-ranking United States official where he [Guaido] was staying, which allowed the migration service to contact him and arrange his departure through [Colombian international airport] El Dorado promptly. He was accompanied by US agents for the whole time in El Dorado, and the United States provided him with a plane ticket."
The minister denied any restrictions imposed on either Guaido or his wife that could have prevented them from entering Colombia legally, adding that the opposition politician's actions stemmed singularly from the desire to make publicity.
Duran thanked US officials for the collaboration, which made it possible for the situation to end "in a transparent and completely successful way."
The opposition figure proclaimed himself interim president and headed mass protests in Venezuela in early 2019. The move escalated into a long political crisis in which a group of Western countries led by the United States supported Guaido and recognized him as legitimate president.
Russia, China, Turkey and several other nations continued to recognize the presidency of Venezuela's incumbent leader, Nicolas Maduro. It was not until December 2022 that the Venezuelan opposition voted to dismantle Guaido's interim government for failing to meet the goals it had set.