Colombia & México Presidents Meet to Discuss Bilateral Cooperation and Mistreatment of Colombian visitors

On Monday, December 16, 2024, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum met at Mexico’s National Palace to discuss key areas of cooperation between the two countries. Enhancing bilateral relations and addressing shared challenges, particularly regarding migration, were key points in the agenda.

This is the third meeting between Petro and Sheinbaum in just three months: They had previously met during Sheinbaum’s inauguration as Mexico’s first female president on October 1 and later during the G20 summit in Brazil in November, where they had a private meeting reaffirming their commitment to strengthening cooperation.

According to a press release from the Colombian side, the two leaders agreed to boost coordination on migration management, aiming to improve the processes in the flow of people between the countries. Petro’s administration also emphasized the need to ensure better treatment for Colombian citizens who transit through Mexican airports, following complaints of mistreatment in the past.

This issue has generated complaints for years. In April 2024 Cambio published an in-depth story on the unjustified and abusive behavior of airport officials toward Colombian travelers. “Regardless of the measures being taken by the Embassy, Colombians continue to face xenophobia and mistreatment by immigration officials in Mexico. This includes psychological and verbal abuse, extortion, and unjustified denials of entry, all without access to effective mechanisms to defend their rights, either in Mexico or Colombia”, mentioned the article.

According to Cambio, during the first three months of 2024 alone, 13,839 Colombians were denied entry to Mexico at the airport.

Short after the publication of this piece, the Colombian Ambassador to Mexico, Moisés Ninco Daza, held a meeting with the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Migration Institute, the Migration Policy Unit of the Ministry of the Interior, and the airlines operating between the two countries, that led to a series of agreements that were reached to “improve the treatment of Colombian nationals, eliminating any form of abuse or discrimination,” as Ambassador Ninco announced via Twitter/X.

Nevertheless, the issue was still central in the meeting Petro and Sheinbaum held in December. They also discussed other issues, such as how to deepen collaboration on historical and cultural initiatives, particularly with a new project to locate the remains of José María Melo, a 19th-century Colombian leader whose legacy has been important for Petro.

In an effort of maintaining strong diplomatic relations and fostering regional stability, Petro has also held recent meetings with the presidents of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, and from Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou.

Headline photo: Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum (Photo: Presidencia de la República de Colombia).