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La ministra de Relaciones Exteriores, Rosa Villavicencio, habló con El Espectador sobre los cambios en el manejo de la política exterior con la llegada de Abelardo de la Espriella. Aseguró que las solicitudes que hizo el vicepresidente electo, José Manuel Restrepo, para frenar los movimientos en el servicio diplomático tienen que ver con "el afán de poder copar el Estado" y negó que el presidente Gustavo Petro tuviera denuncias penales en tribunales de Estados Unidos.
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00:23What is a state visit?
00:30And it is necessary to do so because President Gustavo Petro has been a champion of territorial sovereignty, of
00:40Autonomy, and we are a grateful country, a country where people, where there is also gratitude to Cuba for everything.
00:52the services it has always provided in support of peace processes,
00:59to be a facilitating country, accompanying what was the 2016 agreement with the FARC and the subsequent
01:11implementation of cooperation actions,
01:14Since there are a thousand students or young people and men and women who are relatives, children of the demobilized and
01:26They are pursuing their medical studies in this country.
01:29Some courts have already left and have joined the territories for their professional practice or have been able to continue
01:39with a specialty.
01:40Therefore, given that the United Nations also speaks out against the blockade against Cuba every year and
01:50that we are part of the Security Council,
01:52The president will be there, along with Ambassador Leonor Salabata, who is the delegate to the United Nations mission, and
02:04I will be there on a very short visit to speak with the president of Cuba.
02:11to greet the students who are there and who are uncertain about what will happen with these processes
02:19so important for consolidating peace.
02:23Let's say, that's the goal.
02:24Yes, that's precisely where my question was going, because this also occurs within the context of some announcements that have
02:29made the successor of President Gustavo Petro Velardo de la Esprilla
02:31on the breaking of relations with Cuba and Nicaragua.
02:35Is this definitely a turning point in Colombia's foreign policy? What is the perspective of this incoming government?
02:40of its foreign policy?
02:42Yes, so based on what has been said, there would be a setback; we can't call it anything else.
02:49that a setback in what Colombia has wanted to do during these four years, which is precisely to open itself up to the world,
02:57diversify relationships,
02:59to have contact with the Arab world, with Africa, with the Maghreb.
03:04Therefore, closing missions is a mistake because it has no justification, not even from an economic point of view.
03:14For example, with Algeria, which is the gateway to the Maghreb, our trade balance is absolutely positive.
03:23We have gone from trade of one and a half million dollars in 2023 to 34 million last year
03:32And so far this year, 20 million dollars in trade, from January to April.
03:39They are not mining and energy products; they are mainly agricultural products: beef, bananas, and coffee.
03:50Basically, what we sell to Algeria, but the number of links that have been established in terms of trade is also important.
03:59cultural
04:00and the importance of Algeria having voted with us in the United Nations Security Council elections,
04:09in which there are a series of shared proposals that the countries that will be affected would undoubtedly not understand
04:19Why are these missions being closed? And we obviously don't agree.
04:26Yes, another of those changes is that they will no longer participate in the genocide complaint against Israel.
04:32before the Court.
04:33Let's say, that also represents a total change in foreign policy, especially with the re-establishment of relations with Israel.
04:39Of course, it has to do with a change in the conception and defense of human rights,
04:44that in which Colombia has been fully committed to the principles of the United Nations,
04:50In respecting international law, Colombia has had a case that was never opened regarding the entire genocide of
04:59the UP,
05:00for all the human rights violations committed by politically linked paramilitaries,
05:07linked to security forces and today we are in another phase.
05:11So, I repeat, it is a step backward to weaken an organization that guarantees international impunity
05:21It should not exist in a world that wants peace and in a world that must abort.
05:28Major challenges in terms of human mobility and the challenges posed by climate change.
05:35These announcements are very unfortunate; it's another matter whether they will actually be implemented.
05:45Yes, and well, you as the Foreign Ministry are also largely in charge of the logistics of the inauguration.
05:51August 7th.
05:52How has that communication been, considering that the splice was lifted?
05:54And that you have already made the connection with the people on your own?
05:57Yes, well, we have provided information with evidence to our people.
06:03about the actions that have been taken, about the achievements.
06:08They obviously have all the information from the different ministries on the DNP website.
06:17of what has been done and have also submitted a series of petitions
06:24In more detail, the deadline is tomorrow and they will be handed over for the information they are requesting.
06:32So, there has been little or no communication.
06:37As you know, there was an idea to do it in Cauca, but it has not been possible since.
06:46Now it will be held behind closed doors in a university auditorium in Cali.
06:52Well, it's their decision and ours as far as sending the invitations is concerned.
06:59to whomever they have chosen, we will send them and I will be there on the 6th
07:04as is appropriate when receiving visiting heads of state and foreign ministers with the diplomatic corps
07:14And that day my duties end.
07:18Therefore, we have complied until the very last day with the utmost respect for diversity,
07:25to decency, while also respecting political pluralism,
07:29something we hope this new government will also practice as a democratic country.
07:35And have any international delegations suddenly expressed doubts or concerns?
07:40regarding the security of their delegations as such?
07:43Well, the thing is, going to Cauca, which is no secret to anyone,
07:49which has internal tensions because illegal and armed groups operate there
07:58and those who use violence, well, that's really inconvenient.
08:03So, there are countries that require time, preparation, and planning.
08:12And so all this has been disorganized, but due to the ideas they've had for carrying out the transfer.
08:22It's not our decision, it's their own initiative.
08:25We are here to do our job, and it is only now that we have been able to send out the invitations.
08:34It may be late for some countries because it involves planning a trip and appointing a delegation.
08:43Well, in Europe many countries are already on vacation.
08:48In short, it wasn't done with enough advance notice.
08:52The delegation, I repeat, not because of us, it hasn't been left out because of us.
08:55It was due to improvisation and the desire to do it in places where the logistics were lacking.
09:03where it was not appropriate and in the end they decided to change.
09:08Yes, and part of that broken communication also stems from the Priella junction
09:13These are complaints or requests made more by the current government
09:18that they would halt appointments in the diplomatic service.
09:21Well, you as the government said, we have that power until August 6th,
09:25But yes, it does raise alarms because there are several movements.
09:29in the diplomatic service already at the end of the Petro government.
09:32No, what I mean is, well, the Petro government is in power until August 6th, it governs.
09:38And I could do it, but it's a false topic, absolutely false,
09:45because there is a diplomatic corps here that serves on a rotating basis
09:50and that he had requested approvals from countries that don't grant them overnight.
09:58They have emerged at this stage, and yet the decrees are not being made.
10:04But it is a right they have according to the decree that governs the diplomatic service.
10:09of their alternation and of being able to go to countries where there is a quota for them to be.
10:16Other types of vacancies have occurred because the general secretary has left,
10:24So, when the positions became vacant, an ambassador was appointed, who may be acting in a temporary capacity.
10:31to cover why there cannot be or cease to be a secretariat,
10:36But let's say that a change of government doesn't mean the country has to come to a standstill.
10:43The country has an administration and a population that needs to be taken care of.
10:48with the programs that exist, with public policy, and that is what we have done,
10:52return programs, assistance programs for nationals, procedures,
10:57The state will not come to a standstill just because someone is going to take office.
11:02And what we have done is to give way to the normality that a State should have,
11:08There are countries where they haven't been able to agree for three years on who governs.
11:13in parliamentary regimes and the administration has functioned,
11:17So, by that day, the idea of raising this question was more likely related to eagerness.
11:27to be able to take over the entire State, but there is a professional career, there is a diplomatic career,
11:32There is an administrative career path where there are labor rights that must be respected.
11:39And that works here at the Foreign Ministry.
11:42And speaking of this, let's also mention the tension that is caused to our fellow citizens abroad,
11:48What is your assessment of the relationship with the United States at this time?
11:51Well, there's talk of increased tariffs and also of a recent communication.
11:56With the chargé d'affaires, Hugo Guevara, and with President Gustavo Petro, what is your assessment?
12:00Yes, the agrément was given to the chargé d'affaires, Mr. Guevara, on Monday.
12:06that the Petro government gives him so that an ambassador can come, because during this time there was no ambassador.
12:13And it is desirable that there be an ambassador; they have their procedure, and when they complete it and choose one,
12:21Well, he has permission to be here.
12:24In terms of human mobility and deportations, that's up to the incoming government.
12:33decide whether to allow the deported Colombians, of whom there are still a number to be deported,
12:42He's going to come in chains and handcuffs because this government didn't allow that procedure.
12:48which is the one the United States has, and the last flight arrived the week before last.
12:56that the Air Force had been paid to attract the nationals who are there.
13:04We have carried out extensive educational campaigns to encourage people to migrate responsibly.
13:13safe and also to show that the American dream doesn't exist and that it's better to look for other options
13:21of development in the territories, given that many policies have been leveraged to bring peace,
13:29to bring development to the regions and in any case if people decide to emigrate,
13:36Well, let him do it safely to countries where there is respect for human rights.
13:41and also have job opportunities.
13:46This is where it stands.
13:48And at that moment, as I understand Minister Armando Benedetti,
13:52He said that there was no discussion of the possibility of removing President Gustavo Petro from the UFAC list.
13:57What's the status of that?
13:58No, well, President Petro spoke with President Trump.
14:02President Trump, after the July 21st election,
14:07He said he didn't know the president was there.
14:12Look, the UFAC list is a US issue that is an administrative sanction.
14:17There is no criminal or punitive issue there.
14:20The president is not under any criminal investigation.
14:24He has no sentence,
14:26Rather, it is an imposition by the United States on the world.
14:31to impose administrative sanctions regarding travel possibilities,
14:36account management,
14:38because you know that all accounts have a traceability
14:42in North American banks for any transaction.
14:47We hope he gets out of there because there is no justification.
14:51You know that he obeyed the fact that the president always said
14:56and characterized what was happening in Palestine as a genocide,
15:02which the United Nations has finally agreed with.
15:07So, we hope there will be a favorable solution in the coming weeks.
15:17And let's also talk about one of the key issues for this government,
15:20One of the issues raised was passports,
15:22the complete change also in the model that had been used before.
15:27And at this point there was also a decision from the Superior Court of Cundinamarca,
15:30But even after that, some doubts about that model remain.
15:34They continue...
15:37The unions have also raised complaints about the printing company's business model.
15:41What do you think?
15:42Well, so why do you still have doubts about whether Colombia deserves it or not?
15:48to have digital sovereignty, to have control over highly personal data
15:53and the protection of citizens' highly personal data
15:56that they deposit them on time or that they give them when getting a passport,
16:02The new model works perfectly.
16:04It is absolutely protected from a legal point of view.
16:09Now we must say clearly and loudly that there are economic interests at play.
16:14committed by third parties so that this returns to private hands
16:20and this data and this highly personal information of the citizens
16:24can be manipulated because it lacks the preservation of the authority of a State
16:32and its entities.
16:34The Bogotá Court Council has issued a ruling that sets a legal precedent.
16:42to all the precautionary measures that request that the issuance of passports be stopped.
16:48He said it's not appropriate because this process is normalized, it's working,
16:54It is secure, absolutely legal, and protects citizens' data.
17:01of the risk of not being in the hands of third parties.
17:05Therefore, everything that is done from then on will have to do with the authorities.
17:12with the Comptroller's Office, with different entities and of course,
17:16The legislature will also be monitoring this process, as will the various entities.
17:24From the Public Prosecutor's Office, right?
17:26But there is no risk that the system will fail simply because it is the government.
17:35who intentionally intends for this to be returned to third parties,
17:40But the passport system is working and it has an importance that I understand.
17:48that after so much privatization, the population, the citizens, cannot understand the dimension
17:56of what digital sovereignty means for a State.
18:00We have a public printing press that, by law, obliges all institutions to ensure that all these
18:06Official documents must be issued there; that is a legal requirement.
18:13And so we have a public company that is intended for that purpose, which was endowed,
18:19which was modernized and that gives the State greater capabilities.
18:24If those skills and that endowment of capabilities are not understood, then it only means that
18:31The idea is that we continue to depend on third parties and don't develop our own entities, and that
18:37That was the goal and what was done: to develop our own capabilities.
18:43Yes, that's precisely what I was going to ask you because, let's say, these are alerts that not only
18:46Not only have the unions spoken out, but the Comptroller's Office has also warned of potential financial risks.
18:49And the precautionary measure was requested by the Attorney General's Office itself.
18:53In other words, the version from the Chancellery is that there is no risk whatsoever.
18:56financial aspects surrounding that process.
18:57No, absolutely no risk.
19:01As I said, this is a legal framework that provides perfect protection,
19:07which gives it full legality and there is a contract with the printing company which is a public company
19:13that has been strengthened, that has been modernized, that has adapted its facilities to the regulations
19:19from OAS to handle this type of document and that it is working.
19:26Well, I have to tell the doomsayers that nothing happened that they said wouldn't happen.
19:32to issue passports, that this was going to collapse, that people weren't going to be able to have that right
19:39fundamental.
19:40None of that happened, there were never any of those crises.
19:43They were all manipulated, fabricated, because the issuance of passports was never suspended.
19:51Now, the new government will have to answer for what it does in that regard.
19:58Of course, there have been people with the legitimate right to file for injunctive relief,
20:05But to this day, none have prospered, and there is a ruling from the Bogotá Court.
20:11which sets a precedent for all those that may come later if they arise.
20:18And finally, Chancellor, you are the last Chancellor of Gustavo Petro's government,
20:22There were four who passed.
20:23What is your assessment of your time in the administration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?
20:26Well, we have made a public transition where we have shown the achievements with evidence.
20:38It is therefore important that the media always have and verify the evidence for the news.
20:47Because many things were said that aren't true and nobody has corrected them, right?
20:52But we have evidence that a deputy ministry of migration was created.
20:57because of its importance and the role that Colombia plays
21:01Regarding migrations that leave, arrive, and return.
21:07We created the system and the new model of guaranteed passports.
21:11To date, approximately 400,000 passports have been issued without incident.
21:17with maximum security and with the quality standards set by international organizations.
21:24We generated a diversification of our relationships,
21:29achieving significant trade flows for products originating from these territories
21:37and that come from crop substitution.
21:39We create and implement a drug policy
21:46despite the desertification, which was also a political measure,
21:51where the evidence is that we found the country with 263,000 hectares planted with coca
21:59And from the Petro government onwards, that figure stopped and at this moment it has decreased by minus 8%.
22:07We have a replacement policy that covers more than 32,000 hectares
22:13who have planted crops other than coca leaves
22:18and that 15,000 are already in full production of cocoa, sugar cane, and coffee
22:24and that we simultaneously developed a strategy for the coffee and cocoa route
22:31to open markets for those products and, for example, Algeria, as I was saying,
22:37What they buy most from us is bananas, pigs, pork, and coffee.
22:46Then a fairly coherent activity unfolded
22:51where territories and foreign policy served the people,
22:56It served the territories and it served the peasant organizations
23:01and that are in the process of replacement, but to the victims and the organized farmers
23:08And let's say this is a medium- to long-term process
23:14And the invitation is to continue in order to consolidate peace.
23:19Otherwise, there will be a lot of conflict in the territories if all this is interrupted.
23:24We'll have to consult. Thank you so much for your time.
23:26Okay, thanks.
23:28Well, we thank you for being part of this edition of El Espectador Interviews.
23:31We invite you to follow us on all our social media channels and to visit our website.
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