Bogotá, 9 August 2022 (TDI): Mario Abdo Benitez, the head of state of Paraguay, met Gustavo Petro, the newly elected President of Colombia, on Saturday, on an offcial visit to Colmbia.
El afianzamiento de los lazos de cooperación entre Paraguay y Colombia, principalmente en el área de seguridad, fue uno de los temas abordados durante la reunión bilateral mantenida por el mandatario @MaritoAbdo con el electo presidente @petrogustavo y los cancilleres de 🇵🇾 y 🇨🇴 pic.twitter.com/l2nMCsY2TL
— Presidencia Paraguay (@PresidenciaPy) August 7, 2022
The meeting between the two heads saw a discussion on several issues of regional and international dynamics. They also discussed strengthening the bilateral ties between the two states, especially in the security domain.
Paraguay’s President Remarks:
President Abdo congratulated Gustavo Petro on being elected as the new President of Colombia. He also congratulated the new administration on behalf of the people of
Paraguay.
Moreover, Paraguay’s President expressed his gratitude to Colombia and Colombia’s Congress for helping Paraguay during the challenging times in the past. He affirmed that he would never forget the kindness people of Colombia have shown towards Paraguayans.
The President of Paraguay discussed strengthening cooperation between Paraguay and Colombia. He also hoped that bilateral ties between the two states would continue to grow.
Colombian President’s Remarks:
The President of Colombia thanked President Abdo for visiting Colombia. He emphasized the importance of cooperation for strengthening Latin America’s integration.
President Abdo also highlighted the importance of establishing a convention on regional food security for Latin America as soon as possible due to the growing hunger problem.
Consequently, President Abdo explained that Paraguay is the world’s largest producer of clean and renewable energy per capita.
Furthermore, he also explained Paraguay’s two internationally operating hydroelectric plants, one with Brazil (Itaip) and another with Argentina (Yacyretá), which encourage investment.
Additionally, special attention was put to the discussion of increasing security and defense cooperation between the two states.
Recalling the Murder of Paraguayan Prosecutor:
The President of Paraguay stated that his government prioritizes fighting against organized transnational crime. At this point, he brought up the murder of Paraguayan prosecutor, Marcelo Pecci.
Marcelo Pecci was an anti-mafia prosecutor in Paraguay and was involved in corruption, drug trafficking, and money laundering investigations. He was killed on 10th May 2022 on the island of Baru near the Caribbean city of Cartagena in Colombia.
He requested the new administration take special steps to continue the ongoing investigations to identify the criminal minds responsible quickly.
Along with other members of the Paraguayan delegation, President Abdo was accompanied by Foreign Minister, Julio César Arriola, and Ambassador, Sophia López Garelli.
Alvaro Leyva, his nominated Foreign Minister, accompanied President Petro.
