:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/F6I4ZMJLLVBUVNNJOTPHEA7IH4.jpg "Migration, Energy and Drug Trafficking: Government Priorities in the Latin American Integration Agenda 1")
On March 1, 2023, the International Seminar: Integration and Convergence of Latin America and the Caribbean was held at the Externado de Colombia University, in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alvaro LeyvaThe ex-president Ernesto Samper Pizano and the rector of this institution, Hernando Parra Nieto.
During the act, the portfolio manager of foreign Relations revealed some of the government’s priorities with regard to the Latin American integration agenda, highlighting the attention paid to issues such as migration irregular, the climate change there Drug traffic.
Throughout the dialogue, he explained that his goal is to create a common agenda around the aforementioned issues, but also to position himself as an articulating actor in the Latin American panorama. In this regard, he assured, “For our part, we have made calls, always having Latin America and the Caribbean as the center of gravity”.
With regard to the migratory processes that the country is experiencing, the Minister of Foreign Affairs assured that this is no longer a phenomenon exclusive to Venezuela, while warning that it is a serious phenomenon and delicate that requires a continental response.
For this reason, he called on participants to pay attention to the results of the Latin American Conference on Migrationto be held in Mexico, as part of this event has confirmed that he will meet his counterpart from the Aztec country, Marcelo Ebrard.
In connection with the climate change, He mentioned the Amazon, as well as the need to convene, from Colombia, a conference around two axes: the environmental crisis and the possibility of creating an electrical interconnection between the Americas.
“so that developed countries do not depend on fossil fuels, but on the clean production that we basically have in Latin America and the Caribbean,” he said at the event.
About drug trafficking Leyva He spoke of the need to launch a regional conference on drug trafficking, justified by the transnational nature of the phenomenon, it is expected that the initial management of this call will begin as soon as possible. At the end of the event, he stressed the need to strengthen the Latin American integration.
For his part, the former president samper He expressed the need to take advantage of new technological tools in the integration processes, but also to “put people” in the integration processes, through the connection and participation of businessmen and social organizations in the said process.
The former Colombian president also spoke about the policy of drugssubject where he assured:
“In political matters, there is the question of drugs, getting out of prohibition. We also have a social and cultural agenda, regional citizenship. We propose to have periodic meetings, to recover the inertia, it is good to have this space and as a support group always ready”.
The event was initiated by External universitysponsored by the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) and Escenarios Corporation, other participants were delegates from various Latin American countries.
It is pertinent to recall that, on February 23, President Gustavo Petro met with members of the North American Congress and delegates from the United States, during the event he recommended a “pact for life” based on the transition to clean energy and changes in the fight against drugs. The meeting was organized by the Aspen Foundation and took place in Cartagena de Indias.
The speech of the Colombian president, at that time, was oriented in three directions, the first pointing to the need to move to a new energy model; the second, to change public policies around the fight against drugs and finally, he presented to the participants the priorities of his government in terms of domestic policy.