Colombian President Gustavo Petro is set to embark on a trip to Havana this Friday, marking what appears to be his last international journey before his term concludes on August 7, 2026, as reported by Infobae Colombia.
The visit is expected to last around 48 hours and will include bilateral meetings with Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel. The aim is to express Colombia's solidarity with Cuba amidst the severe economic and social crisis the island is facing.
As of the latest update, the Colombian Presidency has not released an official itinerary or specific agenda topics for the meetings.
This trip results from a last-minute schedule change. Petro initially planned to travel to Washington and New York for a United Nations conference on natural resource governance and to visit the Organization of American States' headquarters. However, he canceled those plans.
The president explained on his social media platform X that Félix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, would not attend the UN event, thereby reducing its diplomatic significance.
"I replaced it with a place I deem vital for national sovereignty and the fight for life in the Caribbean: the besieged Cuba," Petro wrote to justify his decision.
In the same post, the outgoing president mentioned Cuba, Haiti, South Africa, Algeria, and Malaysia as strategic countries for Colombia, coincidentally the same nations the president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella plans to remove from Colombia's embassy list.
If the trip materializes, it will be Petro's third official visit to Cuba during his tenure. The first took place in June 2023, when he attended the conclusion of the third cycle of peace talks with the ELN guerrilla, a process in which Cuba serves as a guarantor country.
The second visit occurred in September of the same year, during the G77+China Summit, where he also held a bilateral meeting with Díaz-Canel.
This trip carries significant political symbolism given the current context. Earlier this week, De la Espriella announced a complete diplomatic break with Cuba and Nicaragua, labeling them "tyrannies," and initiated the closure of 14 Colombian embassies in the first phase.
"In my government, there will be no ties with tyrannies," declared the president-elect.
The Cuban regime responded on Tuesday, accusing De la Espriella of acting in "subordination" to Washington's policies, following a meeting between the vice president-elect José Manuel Restrepo and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on July 15 in Washington.
Petro's visit to Havana thus concludes four years of explicit political alignment with the Cuban regime, contrasting sharply with the radical shift De la Espriella will implement starting August 7, when he assumes power in Cali and Colombia severs diplomatic ties with the island for the third time in its history.
Gustavo Petro's Trip to Cuba: Key Questions Answered
Why is Gustavo Petro visiting Cuba?
Gustavo Petro's visit aims to convey Colombia's solidarity with Cuba during its economic and social crisis, and to hold bilateral discussions with Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel.
What was the original plan for Petro's international trip?
Originally, Petro planned to visit Washington and New York for a UN conference on natural resource governance and to meet with the Organization of American States, but canceled these plans.
How does the trip relate to Colombia's diplomatic relations?
The trip comes amid a diplomatic shift as the incoming president, Abelardo de la Espriella, plans to break ties with Cuba, contrasting with Petro's years of alignment with the Cuban regime.