- From the Casa Lúdica para la Paz in the town of Paraguachón, Minister Murillo ratified the importance of cultural and educational exchanges promoted by the Colombian Foreign Ministry.
- He highlighted that in 2022, the Vallenato Group of the Casa de Paraguachón traveled to Mexico for a significant cultural exchange and announced that in the second half of this year there will be a women’s rugby exchange with girls from La Guajira who will travel to South Africa.
Maicao, June 25, 2024 – @CancilleriaCol. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luis Gilberto Murillo, traveled to the northern border with Venezuela, accompanied by a delegation from the National Government and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). During his visit, the chancellor highlighted the importance of the presence and joint work with various entities of the National Government and international cooperation to address the challenges and opportunities of the border region.
The head of Colombian diplomacy highlighted the relevance of the peace efforts in Colombia and the continuous communication with his Venezuelan counterpart: “The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the peace efforts in Colombia, we value them in an important way and we are always in very close communication fluid with Foreign Minister Iván Gil,” said Murillo. Likewise, he proposed holding the next meeting of the Neighborhood and Integration Commission in the municipality of Maicao, seeking to territorialize government actions and cover all border areas with their particularities.
Murillo stressed the need to strengthen international cooperation and highlighted the creation of an Itinerant Embassy of Subnational Diplomacy and Territories, which will allow greater presence and support in the regions. The Chancellor also highlighted the importance of the Intégrate Centers in the regions of Deep Colombia and the need to give them greater support and visibility to balance the needs of the territories with fewer resources. In addition, he mentioned the need to make structural adjustments in migration and international cooperation policies to better respond to current and future challenges.
“In terms of immigration policies, I am making some changes in the Foreign Ministry about the way we operate, highlighting the region as well. Furthermore, this is the region of Grand Admiral José Prudencio Padilla, the great political and military leader of black and pardos, from the great Getsemaní neighborhood in Cartagena,” added Murillo, highlighting the importance of recognizing and supporting the diverse cultural identities of Colombia.
During his visit, the Minister of Foreign Affairs also addressed issues related to international cooperation, highlighting the signing of the new cooperation framework with the United Nations for the next five years and the upcoming participation of President Petro in a session of the United Nations Security Council. United, on July 11. He emphasized the importance of making structural adjustments to break inequality and build peace, ensuring that resources and budgets fit the needs of regions hosting internal and external migrants.
The visit concluded with a call from the Chancellor to prioritize the structural reforms necessary so that regions like La Guajira benefit from the resources of the General Participation System and others from the national budget. Furthermore, he urged local authorities and the community to participate in the consultation of the decree on the regulation of the National Migration and Human Mobility System, to guarantee effective integration of the migrant population.
With this visit, Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo reaffirms the commitment of the National Government to support and strengthen the border regions, promote international cooperation and work for the integration and development of all the territories of Colombia.
