Reception of COP16 leaders begins: key meetings and absences on President Petro's agenda

At COP16, President Gustavo Petro and Vice-President Francia Márquez began their agenda on 28 October with key meetings, hosting several high-level representatives. The day's bilateral meetings focused on strengthening cooperation with Africa and other Latin American countries, in line with the Colombian government's environmental and geopolitical priorities.

(Lea esta historia en español, aquí)

One of the most important meetings was with Mariana Mazzucato, a renowned economist, and the President of Haiti. The meeting discussed issues related to industrialisation and cooperation between the two countries. These meetings are part of the Africa 2022-2026 strategy promoted by the Vice Presidency to strengthen relations between Colombia and the African continent.

Gustavo Petro also met with the President of Guinea-Bissau, a meeting also attended by Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo. In parallel, Murillo met with the Foreign Minister of El Salvador, underlining the focus on regional cooperation.

Bolivia's Vice-President David Choquehuanca also attended the summit, although the absence of the Bolivian President, who will not be attending, was noted. Despite the importance of these meetings, the day was marked by an event in Cali that caused some unease among participants.

While the COP16 meetings were taking place, President Petro was expected in Cali, specifically at Carpa La 50, a vast 30,000 square metre plot of land in the El Lido neighbourhood. This land, a former Cali cartel club, was handed over to the Sociedad de Activos Especiales (SAE) in February 2024 to be commercialised for the benefit of the Santiago de Cali district.

President Petro was due to preside over the handing over of the land for the construction of the Cañaveralejo Ecopark, a space for reconciliation and civic encounters. The acquisition of the land, valued at US$144 billion, is key to the development of the project, which promises to benefit thousands of Cali residents.

The mayor of Cali, Alejandro Eder, and other local leaders were waiting for the president to formalise the handover of the land. However, at the time of going to press, the president had not yet arrived, much to the consternation of those present.

The La 50 site has a strategic value, not only for its history, but also for its potential as a space for integration and urban development. The investment to transform it into the Central Park of Cañaveralejo is supported by various sectors and the City Council.

Despite this absence, the President was due to continue his agenda with a Council of Ministers at Cali's Intercontinental Hotel at 19:00, in a space that will be crucial to outlining the government's next actions on environment and development issues in the context of COP16.

Francia Márquez's intervention in the Magdalena Room, scheduled for 18:30, will present the axes of the Africa Strategy 2022-2026 to the African delegations. Her statement is expected to provide a clear roadmap for strengthening cooperation and development relations between Colombia and African countries, especially with regard to the environmental agenda.

DEYNER CAICEDO CAMACHO

EL TIEMPO Special Envoy to COP16

Editor's note: This text is an artificially intelligent English translation of the original Spanish version, which can be found here. Any comment, please write to berdav@eltiempo.com