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President Joe Biden called on Tuesday the elected president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, to congratulate him on his victory in the presidential elections and to reaffirm U.S. support for the country.
According to a White House statement, he told Petro that he looks forward to working with him in the areas of climate change, health security, and the implementation of the 2016 Peace Accords.
Shortly before, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre had assured during that both governments plan to collaborate on matters such as the economy and security, but declined to confirm whether a call between the U.S. leader and the Colombian leftist would take place.
Petro himself, however, had already announced in a message via Twitter that he had “held a very friendly conversation with President Biden of the United States. In his words, a ‘more equal’ relationship for the benefit of both peoples.”
During the call, Biden and the newly elected Colombian president agreed that their respective teams would stay in touch on matters of mutual interest.
Republican Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar noted that Biden was not as quick to call to congratulate other leaders in the region.
In his victory speech, Petro emphasized that he would propose that Latin American countries unite to talk to the United States and lay the groundwork for an energy transition.
Petro won Sunday’s presidential runoff with almost 11.3 million votes (50.44%) against almost 10.6 million (47.31%) for his rival, the populist Rodolfo Hernandez.
