Colombia’s foreign minister says his government doesn’t know why U.S. National Security Adviser John R. Bolton had “5,000 troops to Colombia” written on a notepad he held during a news conference announcing new Venezuela sanctions.

In a brief address Monday evening, Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes said Colombia does not know the “importance and reason” for Bolton’s note.

He added that Colombia will continue “acting politically and diplomatically” so that democratic order is restored in Venezuela and new elections are held.

Colombia shares a 1,370-mile border with Venezuela and has joined U.S. President Donald Trump in backing Venezuelan congress leader Juan Guaido, who has proclaimed himself interim president in the opposition’s confrontation with President Nicolas Maduro.

When asked to explain the words in Bolton’s notepad, the White House said in an email that “as the President has said, all options are on the table.”

Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters

Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC.