Pedro Sánchez in Colombia, the first European leader to visit Gustavo Petro

First modification: 08/25/2022 – 00:39

The President of the Spanish Government, the socialist Pedro Sánchez, on an official visit to Colombia, announced that Spain could host the peace talks that the Colombian Government will hold with the ELN guerrillas.

Sánchez’s announcement was made in the framework of an interview with the media outlet W Radio, upon his arrival in Bogotá, the Colombian capital, before meeting with his counterpart, Gustavo Petro, who took office on August 7.

“We offer ourselves to the Colombian government to help in everything that I think is common sense to achieve peace, and therefore, if these peace talks can be hosted in Spain, Spain would be willing and offers to host them,” he said. the head of the Spanish Government.

Sánchez, who will also visit Ecuador and Honduras, said that Spain has always supported efforts for peace, and highlighted the agreement reached in 2016 with the former FARC guerrilla, stating that it was a “milestone in international politics.”

“Spain is going to be with Colombia, helping with whatever the Colombian government asks of us,” said Sánchez.

President Petro, although he thanked the gesture, mentioned that it not only depended on his government where these negotiations take place, but also on the decision of the ELN guerrillas if they want to stay in Cuba or hold talks in other countries.

Petro will return to the dialogue table with the ELN, after the breakdown of negotiations in the Government of Iván Duque. Also, he will seek to reach agreements with other illegal armed groups such as the FARC dissidents or the Clan del Golfo.

Pedro Sánchez took advantage of his visit to go to the Memory, Peace and Reconciliation Center, where he received a copy of the final report of the Truth Commission, which shows the result of an investigation where figures are collected from the more than 50 years of war in which Colombia was submerged.

Sánchez supported the turn that Bogotá has had in the reestablishment of relations with Caracas.

“It is evident that many European countries, including Spain, recognize Guaidó as the legitimate president of Venezuela, but it is true that we now have an institutional duality in Venezuela that has to be resolved,” he added.

Spanish-Colombian Business Forum

In a business forum attended by the two leaders and some 850 representatives of companies from the two countries, Sánchez shared the European Union’s commitment to Latin America. According to him, Spain’s relationship with the region is strategic and he promised to place it “in its rightful place.”

When Spain is president of the European Union in the second half of 2023, this relationship will be a priority and will convene a summit between the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean.

At the bilateral business cooperation meeting, the Spanish Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, said that Colombia is a “first-rate economic partner” in the region.

Maroto stressed that Spain is Colombia’s second largest commercial investor after the United States. According to the minister, Spanish investments in Colombia in 2021 exceeded 1,400 million dollars and she said that there are 800 Spanish companies installed in the South American country, which shows that “bilateral trade relations have shown a positive and growing evolution”.

At the end of this meeting, Sánchez congratulated “Colombian society that opens a new chapter in its democratic history” and that considered “advancing towards a development model that is sustainable and much more inclusive.”

“Spain and Colombia can and must continue to work together (…) Spain wants to further strengthen its presence in this new stage that Colombia is opening, it is vital to strengthen the ties that unite us with the Ibero-American community and with Colombia in particular,” he said. Sanchez at the end.

The President of the Spanish Government ended his visit with representatives of the Spanish community before leaving for Quito.

with EFE