The Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, assured this Sunday that he is in Rio de Janeiro to attend as “guest” to the summit of the G20, a group that he hopes his country will join soon.
(You may be interested in: Colombia will resume the sale of energy to Ecuador to counteract its electricity crisis).
“With progressivism that seeks peace, reduction of poverty and inequality and incentives to know, produce and work, Colombia will enter the G20 club”wrote the head of state in his X account.
Today I am invited in Rio de Janeiro, to the meeting of the 20 most powerful countries on earth, a club to which Colombia does not belong, not because it cannot, but because it has allowed its productive economy to decline due to bloodthirsty and authoritarian mirages, and because a ruling elite…
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) November 17, 2024
Petro added that Colombia does not belong to the G20, whose summit will take place between Monday and Tuesday in Rio de Janeiro, “not because it cannot, but because it has allowed its productive economy to decline due to bloodthirsty and authoritarian mirages, and by a hereditary and predatory ruling elite”.
(Also: ‘Prisoners of violence’: social and economic effects of crime in the region).
For his part, the Colombian Foreign Minister, Luis Gilberto Murillo, told Colombian media that during his stay in Rio de Janeiro, Petro will hold a bilateral meeting with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron. Murillo added that they are also “working on other bilaterals with the (American) president, Joe Biden, and with the president of South Africa (Cyril Ramaphosa)”.
In parallel, the Colombian president also has meetings on the agenda with senior officials from Mexico and Brazil, to strengthen a tripartite relationship.
When referring to Petro’s participation in the summit, the chancellor stated that he will talk about “social inclusion” and of “Global issues are being discussed in Colombia, that is why President Petro’s voice is very powerful, many want to listen to him”.
Murillo emphasized that the G20 summit is very important because 85% of the world’s GDP and 75% of world trade are located in those countries. “in other words, its decisions have many implications and Brazil presides over it this year, and Brazil is a strategic ally of Colombia”.
According to the chancellor, Petro will insist on the importance of overcoming the crisis of the global governance system and finance in favor of climate action to better take advantage of the “resources of the countries of the global north.”
“The United States has 600 billion dollars of quota that it did not use and that it could transfer to countries like Colombia to respond to the climate emergency. President Petro is going to talk about these proposals,” he pointed out.
However, he said that Colombia is not simply requesting resources: “We are not asking anyone for money, what we are saying is that people must invest to be able to reverse the climate emergency that we are already experiencing”.
EFE
