Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called on the United States to engage in a ‘dialogue between civilizations’ with Cuba, during his final official visit to the island. According to telesurenglish.net, Petro made the remarks after meeting with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel in Havana.

‘I came to call humanity to solidarity with Cuba, so that there is no invasion here, nor a missile launch, and to propose as an alternative, even to the current United States Government, to Mr. Rubio and to Trump, that a dialogue be established between civilizations that must be equal while being different,’ Petro declared to Cuban media.

The Colombian leader arrived in Havana on Friday as a show of support for Cuba, which he described as ‘attacked’ by the US. His visit also marks a clear distancing from his successor, the far-right Abelardo de la Espriella, who recently announced plans to break relations with the island and close Colombia’s embassy in Havana.

Following the meeting with Díaz-Canel, Petro called for ‘a dialogue of civilizations to be built’ and for ‘the danger looming over Cuba to be transformed, instead of danger, into a scenario for that dialogue.’ He suggested that such a dialogue ‘could well be the first bridge of unity for humanity in the midst of diversity for life and for freedom.’

In the American context, Petro noted that this dialogue could occur ‘between the state of Florida and the island, which are so close and so far.’ He stressed that his message ‘is not only to humanity, but to the United States government itself,’ urging Washington to also discuss ‘what is happening in the Middle East,’ which he called ‘the anticipation of a global holocaust, of generalized barbarism.’

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel responded warmly on social media, saying it was ‘very pleasant to receive the esteemed president of Colombia.’ He thanked Petro for his ‘profound solidarity and firm support’ for the island ‘in the face of threats of aggression, the energy blockade, and the tightening of the US economic blockade.’ Díaz-Canel also reiterated Cuba’s ‘unwavering commitment to peace in Colombia.’

Petro’s visit underscores the growing South-South solidarity against US unilateralism, as Colombia’s outgoing president takes a firm stance in defense of Cuba’s sovereignty. The proposal for a ‘dialogue between civilizations’ offers an alternative to the confrontational approach favored by Washington, and highlights the potential for regional unity in the face of external pressure.