Juan David Latorre
The Colombian ambassador in Madrid, Eduardo Ávila, called on Spanish companies to participate in infrastructure projects in his country. He did so during the reception offered last Thursday at his residence to celebrate the 214th Anniversary of the Independence of the Latin American country, with a large influx of guests.
After the reception of all the attendees, Ambassador Eduardo Ávila Navarrete addressed them indicating that “the historical ties and brotherhood between Colombia and Spain are known by all. However, in times of global challenges that, as peoples, even as a species, we face, it makes sense to value points of agreement. In this direction, Colombia and Spain continue their path of common agendas. The proposals that we both make to the world converge in a bloc for the defense of life on the planet, the dignity of peoples and the need for economic progress that leaves no one behind and helps global stability. We agree on the strategic proposals within the framework of CELAC-European Union for infrastructure development, security and defense, digitization and commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreements”, giving development, “the bilateral commitments reached, with a High Level Commission to be developed in the second half of 2024”.
The Colombian ambassador thanked the government of Spain for “its position in recognizing the Palestinian State, a recognition read from Colombia as key in the search for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the urgency to resume the path of the two-State solution and full respect for public international law and the commitments of all States to international law Humanitarian. Colombia, as a country in transition to peace, reaffirms its commitment to all causes that prevent the civilian population from being subjected to systematic and disproportionate violence.”
As he did in his address at the reception last year, Eduardo Ávila recognized “Spain’s commitment to promote and achieve peace in Colombia through the full implementation of the 2016 Final Agreement with the former FARC, and the opening of dialogue processes with the remaining armed organizations, that can lead to an end to violence and build a lasting peace based on the principles of truth, justice, reparation and non-repetition”.
“We count on Spain for its decisive participation in the infrastructure projects that Colombia has put out to tender, continued the Colombian ambassador, mainly in the area of railways and energy. We are also working on the challenges in migration issues, especially the need for improvement in the homologations and recognition of professional qualifications, orderly migration, safe and regular, just as we advocate safeguarding the rights of Colombians who decide to come to Spain to share their lives with you and contribute to the Spanish economy.”
Then Ambassador Ávila Navarrete wanted to discern the current situation in his country. “Colombia, after two years under President Petro, has consolidated confidence in investment, legal security and macroeconomic stability. The economy is growing, there is full recognition and debt payments, employment indicators are improving, but mainly, Colombia is entering a deepening of structural reforms to guarantee the rights of the marginalized population according to Total Peace, That is, the poor, the indigenous, the peasants, the afros. Rural reform is progressing, as are rural connectivity and electrification within the framework of the energy transition, reform to the pension system that allows a minimum income guarantee for the elderly and substantial improvement in human security indicators. Colombia is doing well, and we hope to follow this path that is also being built thanks to the almost 900 Spanish companies present in Colombia.”
To conclude, Eduardo Ávila wanted to highlight the importance of the Centro Cultural Gabriel García Márquez, “open to the public in the gardens of the Embassy, for the presentation of artistic works of the Colombian resident in Spain and which is already in its fourth cycle of exhibition, and which begins these days the cycle Women in Colombia, with three proposals: first, the multidisciplinary Scratch the Wound, by Carolina Arévalo, which addresses the taboo of sexual violence and child abuse; secondly, Recortable N. 1, by Nathalia Lasso, that explores migration and the sense of belonging through a project that transits from the game to the reconstruction of a way of living linked to memory, and finally, Lorena Urrea Bolívar in Resilience and empowerment. Women in the Colombian social explosion, which uses the documentary perspective to make visible the significant contribution of collectives like the LGTBIQ+ in the social mobilizations in Colombia in 2021”.
The event was attended by María Sebastián de Erice, Director of Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation; Guillermo Escribano, Director of Spanish in the World, the Ombudsman, Ángel Gabilondo, numerous ambassadors (Japan, Bolivia, Argentina, Honduras, Serbia, Hungary, Norway, Morocco, Venezuela, Uruguay, Nicaragua, Canada, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Turkey, Chile, Iran, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Dominican Republic, among others).
The ambassadors of the Dominican Republic, Chile and Uruguay are welcomed by their Colombian colleague and his wife.
Welcome to the ambassadors of Ecuador and Turkey.
The Colombian ambassador receives his Luxembourgish and Korean counterparts.
From left. to right: the ambassadors of Hungary, Serbia, the junior Serbian advisor and the ambassador of Venezuela.
The ambassador of Iran, Reza Zabib. with the director of the Royal Botanical Garden, Maria P. Martin Esteban.
Morocco’s Ambassador, Karima Benyaich, with the Ombudsman, Ángel Gabilondo.
From left. to right: the ambassadors of Venezuela, Argentina, Norway, Chile, Ecuador, Canada, Bolivia, Japan, Nicaragua and Honduras.
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