Supporters of Venezuelan opposition candidate Henrique Capriles are hoping that Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos is clairvoyant, or at least a kingmaker. Santos hosted Capriles in Bogota yesterday for a closed-door meeting. On the surface, the two men exchanged niceties and confirmed the need for a transparent election in Venezuela October 7. Opposition supporters are hoping the meeting is a sign of the future.

Santos is one of the most clever politicians Latin America has ever seen. Each move he makes is calculated. At the time of his inauguration in August 2010, he had an unprecedented 70 percent approval rating, and despite a dip last month, he has managed to stage comeback to 70+ approval ratings.

Opposition supporters are hoping that the meeting shows a faith, on the part of Santos, that Capriles could very well win. With a burgeoning economy and pending negotiations with Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) the Colombian President does not have time to waste. What was to be a quick 15-minute exchange turned into an hour long encounter. A meeting of this stature does not necessarily give Capriles an advantage in the election, but it puts even more wind in the sails of a campaign that is already moving at a breakneck speed.

Santos purposely kept the reunion a quiet affair, and the current Venezuelan government had little to say about it. Despite the downplay, Capriles supporters are excited. Shortly after the meeting reports surfaced that Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff wants to meet with Capriles as well… even if Santos isn’t clairvoyant, he certainly is a trend setter.