Colombia said it intends to strengthen cooperation with Brazil despite political differences between the countries’ presidents. (Foto: Instagram)
Colombia’s government said Tuesday, Nov. 10, that it intends to maintain and strengthen bilateral cooperation with Brazil despite political and ideological differences between Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was reelected. Colombia’s Foreign Ministry said the countries share strategic interests and challenges that support continuing their partnership.
The ministry described Brazil as a “sister nation” and said Colombia wants to work with the Brazilian government on issues including combating narcoterrorism and illegal mining, protecting the Amazon, and promoting the well-being of people in both countries. It said the two nations face shared challenges and opportunities despite the differences between their presidents.
The Colombian government said it wants the relationship to rest on mutual respect and cooperation. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry reaffirmed Colombia’s willingness to keep strengthening bilateral ties with the Federative Republic of Brazil on those terms.
The announcement follows de la Espriella’s public endorsement of Flávio Bolsonaro during Brazil’s presidential campaign. On Sunday, Oct. 25, after the runoff result was decided, de la Espriella acknowledged Lula’s victory in a social media post. He contrasted the presidents’ political preferences in the two countries’ elections: Lula had supported Iván Cepeda in Colombia’s presidential race, which de la Espriella won, while de la Espriella supported Flávio Bolsonaro, who lost to Lula in Brazil.
De la Espriella said the popular vote should be respected regardless of the political preferences of leaders. He also called for maintaining relations between Colombia and Brazil, with attention to shared security challenges and environmental protection. Colombia’s latest statement echoes a position its diplomacy had expressed after the first round of Brazil’s election: cooperation mechanisms in security and justice serve the countries’ lasting interests and are not dependent on political circumstances.
