Blinken will travel to Colombia, Chile and Peru to discuss human rights and migration

The Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, will travel in the next few days to three countries in South America to strengthen trade opportunities, as well as discuss human rights and migration issues.

Blinken will begin his tour on October 3 in Colombia, where he will meet with President Gustavo Petro, Vice President Francia Marquezand the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Álvaro Leyva.

“The meetings will focus on our shared priorities of supporting strong democratic governments and respect for human rights throughout the Western Hemisphere, addressing the climate crisis, supporting regional efforts to address irregular migration, and implementing a holistic approach to countering drug trafficking. and address their impacts on health, safety, and the environment,” the State Department said in a written communication.

As reported, the secretary will also focus on strengthening collaboration with the Colombian government to implement the 2016 Peace Agreement and reiterate its support for the Temporary Protection Statute for Venezuelan migrants in Colombia.

Blinken will continue his trip to Santiago de Chile on October 5, where he will meet with President Gariel Boric and Foreign Minister Antonia Urrejola. On his agenda will be issues of governance, bilateral investment opportunities, regional security, human rights and climate change mitigation.

There he will also meet Chile’s National Electrical Coordinator and alumni of the US-sponsored Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative.

Finally, the secretary will arrive in Lima, Peru, on October 6, to lead the United States delegation to the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS). This year, the theme of the event is “Together Against Inequity and Discrimination”. There he will chair the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG) which, he pointed the organization, “is responsible for reporting annually to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs on the progress achieved in compliance with the Summit Mandates.”

In addition to meeting with the OAS Secretary General, Luis Almagro, Secretary Blinken will meet with the President of Peru, Pedro Castillo, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, César Landa, to discuss increased regional security, governance issues, environment and economic development.

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