• Visit Petro avoids the discourse against the Spain "of the yoke" and bets to fight together against climate change
  • MONARCHY The Kings receive with honors Petro and his wife

Concord has been the common tone during the State dinner that King Felipe and Queen Letizia have offered this Wednesday to Gustavo Petro and his wife, Verónica Alcocer. After Petro spoke of the "Spanish yoke" hours before starting his state trip, today's day has been marked by the effort to underlinewhat unites the two countries.

Thus Felipe VI recalled in his speech that the relationship is "of brotherhood, mutual respect and of enormous strategic interest", something that serves "for mutual benefit". The monarch said that "Spain is very grateful to the Colombian community because it contributes daily to the development and prosperity of our country." And he has recognized "the great contribution" of Colombian citizens to Spain. He also recalled that 800 Spanish companies work in the country. Finally, he announced that Queen Letizia will soon travel to Colombia "to know and support in situ" the Cooperation programs.

"The construction of peace has always been one of the pillars of the relationship between our countries," the King emphasized. Spain plays the role of observer in the peace process initiated by Petro, who aspires to reach an agreement with the guerrillas. The King recalled "the commitment" of Spain to "support this agreement" at a moment "especially important to achieve in the desire shared by all Colombians: the silence of arms."

The King agreed on the idea of the need to fight together against climate change, which has focused Petro's speech in Congress. Along the same lines, Don Felipe praised the work of the president "to address the energy transition and fight against the effect of climate change." Finally, he encouraged him "to continue on the path of concord and brotherhood among our peoples".

Gustavo Petro has improvised a speech that has lasted 19 minutes in which he has asked to "examine the current phase" of the relationship between Latin America and Europe. And he has made a criticism of consumerism in words in which he has mixed philosophy with quite pessimistic theories about society: "Totalitarianism is going to stay in diapers with what can happen," he said. He has also warned of the danger of us becoming extinct. In the chapter of relations between Latin America and the world, Petro has assured that Europe "got used to Latin America delivering raw materials, there is not much difference with what happened five centuries ago, it is still unequal: Latin America has not industrialized, today we would have to make a new society where it cannot be established that one wins and another loses. That world is over."

The dinner was attended by around a hundred guests, who enjoyed a menu prepared by the Celler del Can Roca based on green salad, sea bass with Mediterranean flavors and cocoa bean. Despite the fact that the protocol called for frac for men, the entire Colombian delegation has worn suits, although Petro has hung the collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic.

  • Europe
  • Gustavo Petro
  • Philip VI
  • Colombia

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