Colombia's president calls for peace conferences to address Ukraine, Palestine conflicts

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Monday proposed holding peace summits aimed at addressing the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine because they “are similar."

Petro was speaking during the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit held in New York City as part of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

“The United Nations and humanity have to speed up the road to end wars now. I propose, in particular, to hold two peace conferences: one on the war in Ukraine and the other on the conflict over Palestine, because they are similar," he said.

Petro noted that since his last address at the UN, the world has witnessed an escalation of warfare and heightened poverty and hunger rates.

"Undoubtedly if we make a balance between our last meeting a year ago and this one, the problems of humanity have worsened. War continues, poverty and hunger are on the rise, the climate crisis is showing one of the fiercest levels this year compared to previous years and the sustainable development goals are further away than ever on the horizon of humanity," he said.

Petro drew attention to the situation at the Darien Gap situated on the border between Colombia and Panama. He spoke to reporters of the failure of governments to put an end to the exodus of migrants attempting to journey from southern to northern countries, often traversing treacherous seas and jungles. He said the US government has requested to construct a barrier to curtail migration through the Darien jungle.

White House National Security Advisor John Kirby later denied this claim at a press conference.

"Some advocate for a repressive approach, advocating for border closures. In the case of the Darien Gap, this amounts to plugging a difficult-to-seal gap," said the Colombian head of state.

Petro also appealed to the international community to seek the release of Venezuela's assets held abroad as a potential solution to the crisis affecting that country.

He is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly on Sept. 19.