Petro's UN visit clouded by provisional suspension order

Colombian President Gustavo Petro's final address to the UN Security Council as head of state was marred by a domestic political storm. A commission in Colombia's House of Representatives ordered his provisional suspension, citing alleged involvement in an election campaign. This decision, pending Senate approval, casts a shadow over his last international trip before leaving office on August 6.

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The final day of my mandate, I will leave, I don't know where to and to what.

Petro, who is constitutionally barred from seeking re-election, is accused by the commission's president, Gloria Arizabaleta, of supporting leftist candidate Iván Cepeda from his own Pacto Histórico party. The president used his UN platform, where Colombia holds the Security Council presidency for June, to discuss solutions for peace in the Middle East.

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As a citizen of the Republic of Colombia and not as president.

During his speech, Petro asserted his status as the current president and rejected speculation about not leaving office. He also focused on the risks posed by artificial intelligence in private hands and the dangers of hydrocarbon consumption, warning they could "end humanity." He advocated for peace, criticized the use of missiles to resolve conflicts, and called for universal application of nuclear arms control.

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private and powerful hands

Petro specifically addressed the conflict in Gaza, calling it "the cultural origin of the war in the Middle East." He also defended the right of nations not to be blockaded, naming Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela, in a clear response to the US delegation. Amidst the session, Petro briefly left to address reporters outside the UN, defending himself against the accusations.

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end humanity