Lula says goodbye to Petro via phone call hours before the transfer of power in Colombia

São Paulo.– The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, held a phone call this Wednesday with the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, to say goodbye, on the occasion of the end of the Colombian leader’s term, who will hand over power this Friday, according to official sources.

According to the note released by the Brazilian Presidency, during the conversation Lula thanked Petro for the “productive dialogue” and the “close cooperation” maintained between both nations during the period in which they coincided at the head of their respective governments.

The Brazilian head of state underscored the outgoing president’s commitment to sustainable development, social inclusion, and regional integration.

During this time, both leaders have spearheaded, alongside the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, and other progressive leaders, the ‘Democracy Always’ platform, an international political coordination initiative created to counter the rise of authoritarianism.

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Change of Government

In the call, Lula and Petro celebrated the discovery of natural gas in the Sandía-1 exploratory well, located in deep Colombian waters, announced jointly by the state-owned companies Petrobras and Ecopetrol this Monday.

According to the statement, both presidents highlighted the potential of this initiative to strengthen bilateral cooperation in energy matters and ensure energy security in the region.

Petro will conclude his term at the head of the Casa de Nariño this Friday to make way for the president-elect, Abelardo de la Espriella, who will assume office for the 2026-2030 term after defeating the progressive candidate Iván Cepeda in the runoff election.

Likewise, a source from the Brazilian Government confirmed to EFE at the end of June that Lula does not plan to attend De la Espriella’s inauguration.

Finally, according to the local press, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira will be the one to lead the Brazilian delegation in Bogotá.