Gustavo Petro’s victory in Colombia’s presidential elections, this Sunday (20), opens a new page in the history of the country’s relations with the United States.
The nation – which has never had a leftist president – has been Washington’s closest ally in the region for decades. But the election of former leftist guerrilla Gustavo Petro to the country’s highest office could radically change that relationship.
In an interview with CNN last week, Petro said he intends to renegotiate Colombia’s trade agreements with the US.
He also plans to open up dialogue around three main issues: protection of the Amazon rainforest; end the war caused by drugs; and moving the Colombian economy away from extractive projects, such as fossil fuels.
His future talks with US President Joe Biden are likely to be difficult, with the two leaders diametrically opposed on issues such as relations with Venezuela.
While in his campaign he has tried to distance himself from the Venezuelan regime of Nicolas Maduro, Petro supports recognizing the authoritarian leader as the country’s president, something the White House is firmly against.
But the two presidents may still find common ground in areas such as environmental protection and energy transition.
And Petro has its own allies in Washington,” he told CNN who speaks “often” with US Senator Bernie Sanders and met in person earlier this year with the Progressive Caucus, a group of US leftist representatives.
Colombia’s newest president also spoke of the desire to create a new progressive alliance in South America.
This would likely involve Chilean President Gabriel Boric and Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, rather than the three authoritarian countries of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
Biden recently provoked opposition among some Latin American leaders by barring these three nations from the Summit of the Americas, the regional forum that took place in Los Angeles in early June.
In solidarity, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador chose not to fully participate in the event.
But Petro told the CNN that he would have attended anyway.
“Of course,” he said. “I would have told Biden that it was wrong not to invite some countries, but I would never turn down an opportunity for dialogue.
Source: CNN Brasil
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