The Kings of Spain, Felipe VI and Letizia, offered an official welcome to the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, this Wednesday at the Royal Palace of Madrid, on the occasion of his first state visit to Spain after he took power last month. of August.
The Courtyard of the Armory of the palace was the setting where The king and queen received Petro and his wife, Verónica Alcocer, in a ceremony attended by the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, and representatives of the main state institutions.
Petro and the first lady of Colombia arrived aboard a Rolls Royce Phantom IV escorted by 70 horses from the Royal Escort Squadron. After getting out of the vehicle, the two couples greeted each other cordially and exchanged a few first words. Next, they posed before the graphic media before going to the box, located in front of the main façade of the palace, to listen to the national anthems and salutes of honor.
The official reception was completed with the review of the company of honors of the Royal Guard by the two heads of state, the greeting to the authorities and a military parade of the garrisons that participated in the ceremony. After the welcome, which was joined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain, José Manuel Albares, and the four who are part of the Colombian delegation -Foreign Relations, Mines, Education and Trade-, Petro will deliver a speech in the Spanish Congress in a joint session of deputies and senators.
(Also: President Petro reveals why José Antonio Ocampo left Minhacienda).
From Congress, the Colombian president will go to the Palacio de la Zarzuela, the headquarters of the Spanish Head of State, to meet with Felipe VI, who will then offer him a lunch at which the queen and alcocer.
At night, the two marriages will coincide again at the Royal Palace on the occasion of the gala dinner. Petro, who is staying at the El Pardo Palace, reserved for heads of state on top-level visits, arrived in Madrid yesterday and in the afternoon opened his agenda with his visit to a fair for Colombian entrepreneurs.
His trip aims to strengthen the political, economic and commercial relationship and discuss issues such as the process promoted by the Colombian Government to achieve peace with the guerrilla groups that are still active. Petro’s presence in Madrid is also marked by the conference on the political process in Venezuela organized by Colombia to try to redirect the relationship between its president, Nicolás Maduro, and the opposition.
EFE
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