On the afternoon of Friday, July 18, 2025, Gustavo Petro, President of the Republic of Colombia, arrived in Haiti at the head of a delegation as part of an international tour. This is the second official visit by the Colombian Head of State to Haiti in less than a year.

On the tarmac of Toussaint Louverture International Airport, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, accompanied by Fritz Alphonse Jean, President pro tempore of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT), members of the CPT, ministers, and senior officials from the Army and the National Police, gave a formal welcome to the Colombian Head of State and his delegation.

This visit is part of the strengthening of bilateral relations between Haiti and Colombia. It is expected to lead to strategic discussions focusing in particular on security cooperation, the training of armed and police forces, and the consolidation of institutional partnerships.

A program of high-level discussions is planned, including meetings with the Prime Minister, the Colombian Minister of Defense, the High Command of the Armed Forces, and the High Command of the National Police, as well as an official meeting with members of the Presidential Transitional Council.

However, this planned two-day program turned into a flash visit lasting a few hours. Meetings were canceled, no speeches, no statements, just a bilateral meeting at the Villa d'accueil, followed by the cancellation of the joint press conference, all in "apparent haste" and without explanation.

Subsequently, Gustavo Petro presided over the inauguration ceremony of the new Colombian embassy in Port-au-Prince and invited Haiti and the Caribbean republics to join the progressive nations of the American continent to "become the majority in this corner of the planet," according to a Colombian press release.

According to the Colombian presidency, this inauguration aims to end isolation : "Solitude only leads to death [...] The time has come to truly unite to raise high the banners of freedom and democracy."

The Colombian initiative emphasizes "brotherhood, solidarity, and cooperation," seeking to consolidate future relations based on "the ideals of freedom and love," inspired by "the liberator Simón Bolívar and General Alexandre Pétion."

A few hours later, an official cocktail reception was held at Karibe, where President Gustavo Petro was conspicuous by his absence, either on his way to the airport or having already left Haiti.

What really happened ? The lack of communication from the Prime Minister's Office leaves room for all sorts of interpretations... No official explanation...

The official website of the Colombian Presidency on X states : "During his visit to Haiti, President Gustavo Petro held a bilateral meeting with the President of the Transitional Presidential Council, Fritz Alphonse Jean. The meeting discussed the main progress made in bilateral projects : the fight against drug trafficking, trade, education, and security."

SL/ HaitiLibre