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Colombian President Gustavo Petro called on the U.S. to pursue dialogue with Cuba during an official visit to Havana, while rejecting any military intervention against the island.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel welcomed Petro with a military ceremony at Revolution Square in the capital.
The two leaders held a private meeting followed by talks between their delegations before Petro spoke to Cuban media.
Petro said he traveled to Cuba to call on the international community to show solidarity with the country and help prevent an invasion or missile attack.
“I came here to call on humanity to show solidarity with Cuba, to prevent an invasion or missile attack in this country, and to propose to the current U.S. administration, Mr. Marco Rubio and Donald Trump an alternative: dialogue between civilizations that must be equal despite their differences,” Petro said.
He said dialogue between the U.S. and Cuba could become “the first bridge of unity for humanity” in the name of life, freedom and diversity.
Petro said such a rapprochement in the Americas could take place between Cuba and the U.S. state of Florida, which he described as geographically close but politically distant.
Before leaving Havana, Petro met Colombian students studying medicine in Cuba and urged them to remain cautious because of U.S. policies toward the island.
Diaz-Canel thanked Petro on the U.S.-based social media platform X for his support for Cuba.
“We are grateful to Petro for his deep solidarity and strong support for Cuba in the face of threats of attack, the energy blockade and the worsening of the U.S. economic embargo,” Diaz-Canel said.
He also reaffirmed his government’s “unwavering commitment” to peace in Colombia.
Petro’s visit came after Colombia’s right-wing president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, announced that he would cut diplomatic relations with Cuba and close Colombia’s embassy in Havana.
De la Espriella is scheduled to take office on Aug. 7.
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