Petro in Sweden draws international peace agenda, investment and talks about constituent power, impact in Colombia | News Today

President Gustavo Petro is aware that the 785 days remaining in his mandate, counted as of June 13, are crucial to developing a political and economic project that gives viability to progressivism to remain in power after June 7. August 2026. And although neither he nor his officials can participate in electoral matters, nor do they intend to do so, the achievements achieved by the first left-wing administration will be key to knowing whether or not progressivism can continue in the House of Representatives. Nariño, a matter in which the foreign service plays a fundamental role.

For this reason – in the center of Stockholm (Sweden) – the head of state led a meeting this Thursday with the 26 ambassadors that Colombia has settled in Europe and took the opportunity to outline for them the route of what he hopes will be the axes of his management in the following years. two years. Although the keys are coffee diplomacy, peace and neutrality in foreign wars, and a green agenda with issues around the energy transition and others, there was a clear message that marks his intention to shake up diplomatic work.

More information: “It is the constituent power: that the people decide about their own history”: Petro

“I have asked the embassies and consulates to open their doors, to no longer be for aristocrats or people on vacation, but rather to be work offices that help the entire Colombian community, regardless of whether they are legal or not in the eyes of the government. foreigner, because in the eyes of an embassy or a consulate of the Colombian State all Colombians abroad are equal; They deserve the necessary help in difficult situations, whatever they may be,” said the head of state himself.

This statement was delivered from the ARC Gloria, which was precisely this Thursday in Stockholm, and thus became a public declaration of the meeting that it had hours before with its diplomatic corps in Europe and that, in addition, revealed where it wants to direct the service. abroad.

See here: “The ELN has made it known that it wants to get off the list of terrorists in Europe”

“And they deserve that the State helps build an economic, social and political community that manages to enforce the rights of each Colombian man and woman for the simple fact of being human beings in societies in which we were not born. That is the role of the embassies,” added the president regarding the lines on which they must work in the country’s diplomatic headquarters.

Also present at Petro’s working meeting with his ambassadors were Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo and the director of the Administrative Department of the Presidency (Dapre), Laura Sarabia, who have the additional task of monitoring compliance with the instructions given by the president. In fact, several of the ambassadors present at the meeting took the opportunity to review his achievements and objectives.

It is of your interest: Petro drew up axes with his diplomatic corps in Europe focused on peace and the green agenda

The Colombian ambassador to France, Alfonso Prada, explained that the adjustments to the extradition treaty between both countries are ready for signature between the Ministers of Justice. And he added that among the novelties is the possibility that the French can be extradited to Colombian soil when required, something that to date has remained restricted despite the fact that, in the opposite direction, shipments are authorized.

Another of the data provided by the diplomatic corps was that given by the Colombian ambassador to Spain, Eduardo Ávila, who assured that the ELN – a criminal organization with which there is a stagnant dialogue table within the framework of the politics of the called total peace – asked to be removed from the European Union’s terrorist list.

“The ELN has made it known that it wants to get off Europe’s list of terrorists. It is a job that Spain is willing to do,” said Ávila, who also assured that the Government is already evaluating how to push this process forward and analyzing the way in which said measure would help reduce the conflict in several regions of the country.

Likewise, he indicated that the process will begin with a series of forums on peace in Colombia, with which it is expected to inform the European community of the status of the dialogues with the ELN. This would take shape starting in the second half of 2024, with the beginning of new cycles of conversations with that guerrilla. “It could be between September and November,” Ávila told The viewer.

You may be interested in: Colombia offers rehabilitation to Palestinian children affected by the war with Israel

And to demonstrate that the lines of work taught by the head of state are carried out abroad, Vice Chancellor Elizabeth Taylor reported that Colombia offered rehabilitation processes for Palestinian children affected by the war that broke out in the Gaza Strip with Israel. In fact, talks are already underway with the Bogotá Military Hospital and private sectors to take this step.

“Colombia, with the spirit of diplomacy for life, in all its forms, and also attending to our policy of total peace and the humanitarian support that we have given to countries, including Palestine and Israel for everything that is happening there, we have “The decision was made to provide humanitarian support to Palestinian children who would travel with their families to Colombia for rehabilitation,” Taylor said.

In context: This is how the business sectors that are with Petro in Sweden move

Petro, in this sense, confirmed that what is happening in Gaza should be classified as a “genocide” and that his intention is to stop the armed confrontation in that sector of the Middle East. Even relations with the Jewish State have been broken for several weeks due to this war.

All of this fits with that kind of international crusade that President Petro undertook from the beginning of his mandate to promote Colombia as a country that speaks of negotiated solutions to conflicts and that not only applies that logic internally, but also has the capacity, according to the president, to advise on how to do it in other territories.

This was confirmed by the Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, with whom he signed a declaration at the ARC Gloria aimed at enhancing the 150 years of binational relationship in aspects such as political dialogue, trade, cooperation, environment and peace and security.

“Sweden remains committed to supporting the implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement and is proud to accompany the peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN),” was stated in a section of the six pages of the signed document. this Thursday between Petro and Kristersson.

And it was also what he partly talked about with King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, with whom he had lunch at the royal palace in Stockholm. He arrived there accompanied by the first lady, Verónica Alcocer.

Now, in addition to these meetings held during the first 24 hours in Swedish territory, President Petro closed this Thursday with a meeting with delegates from the private sector of both States, which was sought to enhance relations at this level and, incidentally , verify where else investments can be achieved that allow the implementation of the social and peace policies that the Casa de Nariño has outlined. Banker Marcus Wallenberg, who runs a powerful business empire in this Scandinavian country, was among the hosts of the meeting.

But all this is also accompanied by a constituent story that this time he brought to Sweden, because in the middle of his agenda on June 13 he told the people who received him near the ARC Gloria that his intention is for it to be the town to intervene in State decisions, including those who live abroad.

“Everything will depend on the decisions of the people,” the president said regarding what his administration is looking for in the two years and one long month that remain until the end of his term. And he added: “It is what I call constituent power: that the people decide about their own history.”

(Petro breathes from internal turmoil with key quotes about peace in Sweden and Switzerland)

This shows that President Petro is focused on ensuring that his government program has palpable results in the coming months, even abroad, since the lack of a presidential term is key in the midst of the political, security and economic tensions that he faces internally. the country and that, without a doubt, will have an effect on the electoral processes of 2026.

For this reason, insisting that peace is a key axis in his administration, Petro will continue his agenda in Stockholm this Friday with a speech at the Swedish Defense University, where he will participate in a forum on negotiated solutions to conflicts and human rights. The position he feels regarding the implementation of the agreement that was reached in 2016 with the extinct FARC and that has also affected his constituent narrative will be key there.