The King will attend the inauguration of Gustavo Petro as president of Colombia

MADRID, 29 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) -

King Felipe VI will travel to Colombia on August 7 to represent Spain at the inauguration of President-elect Gustavo Petro, as announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.

In addition, during his stay in Colombia, where he will be accompanied by Minister José Manuel Albares, the King will take the opportunity to hold meetings with the outgoing president, Iván Duque, and the incoming president of Colombia, as well as with the Spanish community.

The Government assures that the attendance of Felipe VI and Albares at the inauguration reaffirms Spain's will to "continue strengthening the solid ties of friendship that unite the two nations, accompanied by shared values ​​that benefit our citizens" .

Petro was the most voted in the second round of the Colombian presidential elections with 50.49 percent of votes, obtaining a historic victory for the left, which for the first time manages to gain access to the Casa de Nariño, seat of the Colombian Presidency. .

Gustavo Petro started as the main favorite in the Colombian elections from the beginning of the campaign. The candidate for the Historical Pact presented himself with a platform focused on a radical change in Colombia's economic model, moving away from oil and coal.

It is the third time that Petro, 62, has stood for presidential elections in Colombia, but this time he was the favorite and the final winner.

Petro's project largely reflects the demands of the important social protests that shook the main streets of Colombia between 2019 and 2020 and that caused a political upheaval similar to that experienced in countries such as Chile, Ecuador or Peru.