President Gustavo Petro defends the asylum granted to Ricardo Martinelli: "Colombia should be a place of refuge."

President Gustavo Petro defended the political asylum granted to former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli, convicted of corruption. The Colombian president made no reference to the criminal proceedings against the asylum seeker, but simply stated that Colombia is a refugee country.

"Colombia has been a land of asylum; it's a universal right. It doesn't matter whether you're right-wing or left-wing, or whether you're a poet, a politician, or someone who's persecuted," was President Petro's justification.

In this regard, the Colombian president noted that this is not the first time Colombia has granted this status: " We granted political asylum and even dual nationality to those persecuted by Ortega in Nicaragua, who fought the revolution against Somoza. It has also been granted to the Venezuelan opposition that has come."

The president reiterated on various occasions that granting this type of status is a natural thing for Colombia: "In the Colombia of change, Colombia respects the right to asylum."

At another point, Petro said: "Colombia must be, like Panama, a place of refuge and freedom of expression." He then reiterated his proposal for the creation of a confederation of nations similar to the national project known as "Gran Colombia."

"Panama and Colombia must join forces, and we want to attract the Panamanian people, as we once did. We may no longer be a single nation as we once were, but we can consider a confederation of nations," he concluded.

In addition to defending Martinelli's asylum, the Colombian president announced his adherence to the Silk Road, the Chinese-led economic project that seeks to replicate the trade routes that connected this country with Europe for centuries.

"We are going to sign the Silk Road. Both Latin America and Colombia are free, sovereign, and independent. And the relations we establish with any people in the world must be based on conditions of freedom and equality. We have decided to take a profound step forward between China and Latin America," said the Colombian president.

According to the Colombian president, he would not only sign a letter of intent to join the Silk Road, but would also have made the decision to fully enter the trade alliance.

A few days ago, in his speech to the young members of the Sena (National Assembly of Ministers), the president stated that during his trip to China he would sign a letter of intent to join the Silk Road, and that it would be the next government's decision to join the bloc. However, this Monday's statements suggest that the Colombian government would skip this step and seek immediate entry.

The reason for this change of heart from the government is unclear. One fact is that this week, President Gustavo Petro and Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia met with the US Chargé d'Affaires in Colombia, John McNamara. During this meeting, the US diplomat reportedly informed Colombia of the consequences for the United States of entering into this economic alliance with China.

Juan Sebastian Lombo Delgado