Port-au-Prince, December 15 (Prensa Latina) Haitian Foreign Minister Jean Victor Généus and his Colombian counterpart Álvaro Leyva led today the official reopening ceremony of the South American country's consulate in this capital.
“The reopening of this consulate is a celebration of the long friendship that has bound Haiti and the Republic of Colombia for more than two hundred years,” explained the Haitian minister during the ceremony attended by the head of the United Nations Integrated Mission, María Isabel Salvador and other members of the diplomatic corps accredited to this country.
For his part, Leyva recalled that Haiti helped achieve the independence of several Latin American nations, including Mexico and Colombia.
Last July, Vilma Velásquez reopened and was sworn in as Colombian consul in Port-au-Prince after the headquarters remained closed for more than two decades.
At the time, Leyva assured that the decision was part of measures that reaffirmed his government's commitment to strengthening Colombia's relations with the Caribbean.
Among the challenges is the attention of her country's 17 former soldiers, who have been imprisoned since mid-2021 for their suspected involvement in the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on July 7 this year.
Two and a half years later, the suspects have not been charged and human rights organizations denounce the conditions in which they and the majority of Haitian prisoners survive, with poor health care, lack of food and overcrowding.
This Friday, the Colombian Foreign Minister concluded a busy agenda in the Caribbean country that took him to a meeting with Prime Minister Ariel Henry and other members of his Cabinet.
With Généus they discussed bilateral politics, multilateral issues and economic and trade promotion.
Also on the topics of justice, security, migration as well as technical, educational and cultural cooperation.
He also visited the Colombian prisoners and inaugurated the consular headquarters.
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