The Colombian chief opened a brand new embassy in Haiti, whereas talks have been centered on safety and the combat towards drug trafficking.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has travelled to Haiti for the second time this yr in a major present of help, as spiralling gang violence continues to plague the Caribbean nation.
Petro’s go to, which started Friday, has centered on talks on safety, commerce, schooling, agriculture and the combat towards drug trafficking, the Colombian authorities stated.
Petro introduced the opening of a Colombian embassy within the nation’s capital of Port-au-Prince.
He has additionally pledged to assist Haiti strengthen its safety, providing to coach Haitian officers. Haitian delegations have visited a state-owned arms manufacturing firm in Colombia to find out about its defence capabilities.
The Colombian authorities shared a quick clip of Petro talking on the new embassy: “The time has come to really unite.”
Por fin, tenemos embajada en Haití.
¿Qué fuerzas impedían en la cancillería que hubiera una embajada en el país desde donde salió nuestra independencia?
¿Sería porque nuestra libertad salió fue de los esclavos negros que se liberaron a sí mismos? pic.twitter.com/tpdpmBptCz
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) July 19, 2025
Translation: Lastly, now we have an embassy in Haiti. What forces within the Overseas Ministry had been stopping the institution of an embassy within the nation from which our independence originated? May it’s as a result of our freedom got here from the Black slaves who liberated themselves?
Petro landed in Port-au-Prince, the place 90 % of the capital is below gang management. He was accompanied by officers, together with Colombian Protection Minister Pedro Sanchez.
Throughout his go to, Petro met with Haiti’s Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime and its transitional presidential council, which is below strain to carry basic elections earlier than February 2026.
The officers arrived lower than per week after Haitian authorities killed 4 suspected drug traffickers and confiscated greater than 1,000kg (2,300lb) of cocaine off the nation’s north coast.
The seizure was unexpectedly giant for Haiti’s Nationwide Police, which stays understaffed and underfunded as it really works with Kenyan police main a United Nations-backed mission to assist quell gang violence.
Whereas most of the violence is centred in Port-au-Prince, gangs have razed and seized management of a rising variety of cities in Haiti’s central area.
At the least 4,864 individuals have been killed from October to the top of June throughout Haiti, with tons of of others kidnapped, raped and trafficked, in response to a latest UN report.
Gang violence has additionally displaced 1.3 million individuals lately.
Petro beforehand visited Haiti in late January. Earlier than his go to, Haitian officers invested some $3.8m to greater than double the runway on the airport within the metropolis of Jacmel, renovate the city and restore electrical energy to a inhabitants residing at the hours of darkness for a minimum of three years.
The 2 international locations are moreover strengthening their ties as judges in Haiti proceed to interrogate 17 former Colombian troopers accused within the July 2021 killing of President Jovenel Moise.