The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, has affirmed this Saturday that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz represents a step towards pacification that should lead humanity to rethink its global roadmap. As he has underlined, "That agenda has to be built outside of oil, of hydrocarbons and towards the decarbonization of the economy".
In his opinion, the war in the Middle East is "one of the worst steps taken by any government in the world recently, apart from the genocide in Gaza," which is why he has urged the promotion of a solid peace process that contemplates a two-state solution in Palestine and, at the same time, addresses the urgency of reducing oil dependence.
The Colombian leader has made these statements upon his arrival at the IV Meeting in defense of democracy, promoted by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and which brings together in Barcelona a dozen heads of state and government from the left from different regions of the world.
Interrogated about whether he considers this summit to be anti-Donald Trump, Petro has stated that it is a forum "for an alternative in the world, not against," and has defined the meeting as a beacon amidst the confusion and error of the current global disorder, which he considers dangerous for all of humanity.
Role of the President-elect of Ireland
On the other hand, the president-elect of Ireland, Catherine Connolly, has claimed that war, forced displacement, and deaths should not be taken for granted: "It is something we need to look at and examine," she remarked, committing to defend this stance in favor of peace in all international forums in which she participates.
The Irish leader has highlighted that the meeting's motto, "In defense of democracy," clearly reflects the current context, and has warned that the situation is "undoubtedly dangerous" for democracy itself.
Likewise, the Vice-Chancellor of Austria, Andreas Babler, said that they want to build an alliance of reason, which cares about diplomatic values, international law, and multilateral cooperation.