Colombia rejects the Spanish offer to mediate in the crisis with Venezuela, Minister of Defense Gabriel Silva said Wednesday in an interview with Caracol Radio.
The Colombian Defense Minister said that his answer to Spanish Prime Minister’s offer to mediate in Colombian-Venezuela strained relationship, is ‘shoemaker to your shoes’, which is a Spanish saying for ‘mind your business’. Silva punned since the Spanish word for shoemaker is zapatero and the Spanish Prime Minister’s full name is Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
Rodríguez Zapatero offered Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Spain’s assistance in promoting a dialogue between Colombia and Venezuela last week.
Venezuela and Colombia are going through a diplomatic crisis after the Colombian Government announced it would allow the United States to use Colombian military bases. Venezuela considers this a threat to its sovereignty. Other South American countries have expressed their concerns over the plan.
