By Justin Worland/Bogotá October 29, 2024 8:00 AM EDT Puede leer nuestro artículo en Español aquí . Last year, Colombian President Gustavo Petro watched in dismay as a political and economic crisis unfolded on the other side of his country’s eastern border. Global powers had imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s oil exports after the country’s autocratic leader, Nicolás Maduro , allegedly rigged his re-election. As hyperinflation fueled turmoil, millions of refugees poured into Colombia to escape.