Colombia Roundup: Gaza, Petro, Pope Francis, Antarctica, mining, energy

Petro's message to Biden about Gaza

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a supporter of the Palestinian cause, stated on X that U.S. President Joe Biden "must act quickly to stop the genocide in Gaza." He also said that "the Israeli people must change their current government and open the path to a definitive peace based on the existence of two sovereign states."

Vice President meets with Pope Francis

Colombia's Vice President, Francia Márquez, and Pope Francis met at the Vatican on Thursday, December 14. After the meeting, Márquez posted a video on X, in which she shared that the two South American leaders discussed peace in Colombia, social justice, climate change, and "historical reparations for Afro-descendant and indigenous people who continue to experience the consequences of colonialism and slavery."

Scientific research vessel

The first scientific research vessel made in Cartagena, Colombia, set sail for Antarctica on Thursday, December 14. The vessel, named ARC Simón Bolívar, will carry out scientific projects and study the impact of the climate crisis on coastal regions. It is the largest ship built in Colombia for ocean research and is equipped with technologies for geophysical, oceanographic, and hydrographic studies, as reported by El Universal.

Colombian minerals company

The Colombian government presented a project that aims to create "the Ecopetrol for the mining sector". Ecopetrol is the largest petroleum company in the country. According to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the initiative will help drive the transformation from primarily extractive mining to productive mining. It will also aim to generate wealth for the state.

Energy for Ecuador 

The Minister of Mines and Energy, Andrés Camacho, met with his Ecuadorian counterpart, Andrea Arrobo, to discuss the energy supply to the neighbouring country. Ecuador has been facing electricity shortages since late October due to drought affecting the operation of its hydroelectric plants. Colombia pledged to provide energy to Ecuador as long as its hydrological reserves allow it to do so. The minister posted on his X account: "We maintain our total commitment to our brotherly country, Ecuador, to provide all available energy, with the assurance of having energy back for the strongest period of the El Niño phenomenon in Colombia. That's what the climate cooperation we proposed to the continent is all about."