FORMER right-wing president of Colombia Ivan Duque has been appointed “distinguished fellow” at the Washington-based Wilson Centre and will act as a global adviser, it was reported today.

He will be responsible for the defence of democracy and climate change, despite an appalling record on human rights and environmental destruction, Kawsachun News reported. 

“We are proud to welcome you to the Wilson Centre and have the benefit of your ideas and experience,” its director Mark Green, Donald Trump’s former USAid administrator, said. 

The Wilson Centre is mainly funded by the US Congress and has hosted a number of panels and events in support of destabilisation and coups against the Venezuelan government. 

According to Kawsachun News, Mr Green was involved in an attempted invasion of Venezuela in 2019 as Washington sought to oust President Nicolas Maduro. 

Journalist Camila Escalante slammed the appointment of Mr Duque, saying the “US honours its legacy of harbouring Latin America’s criminals.”

Mr Duque left office with his replacement, the leftist former guerilla fighter Gustavo Petro, promising to rebuild string relations with neighbouring Venezuela. 

The South American country had been used as a launch pad for numerous attempted coups, including a plot to kidnap or kill Mr Maduro and replace him with Washington-backed usurper Juan Guaido. 

Under Mr Duque’s rule hundreds of environmentalists and indigenous community leaders were massacred while democracy protesters were maimed, tortured and raped by Colombian police. 

“Under the government of President Ivan Duque Marquez, as of March 9, 2020, the ONIC [National Indigenous Organisation of Colombia] registers 162 indigenous people killed, 555 collective threats, 14,266 people affected by confinement, and 6,985 by massive forced displacement, among other violations of the human rights of indigenous peoples.”