Finally: almost six months after his possession, Joe Biden spoke with Iván Duque and announced the donation of vaccines to Colombia

Five months after Joe Biden took office as president of the United States, the first conversation was held with President Iván Duque, Through a telephone call in which the donation of vaccines from that country to Colombia was confirmed.

Around 10:27 in the morning, the two leaders held the first telephone conversation in which, according to President Duque, the importance of the strategic alliance between the two nations was reaffirmed.

As reported by the Presidency of the Republic, The call spoke of economic reactivation and employment, the global agenda for climate change, and the position of the two leaders regarding democracy in Venezuela.

The most important announcement made by the presidential call was the confirmation of a donation of 2.5 million doses of the vaccine against covid-19 from the pharmaceutical company Janssen that will serve the same number of Colombians, since it only requires one application.

“Today we had a telephone conversation, which reaffirms our status as historical allies with the President of the United States, Joe Biden, I want to thank you for that beautiful gesture you have with our country of donating 2.5 million Janssen vaccines to reach 2.5 million Colombians since it is a single dose“Said President Duque.

Subsequently, the president assured that the donation from the United States will arrive in “a very few days”, which will allow to strengthen the application of vaccines and quickly reach the goal at the end of July of 25 million vaccines applied. “Our goal is to reach those 35 million vaccinated (herd immunity) this year. If we keep pace as we do, we are talking that in the first two or three weeks of September that vaccination of 35 million Colombians in a single dose will have been completed”Added the president in dialogue with Bruce Mac Master.

President Biden, according to the Presidency of Colombia, expressed concern about the situation in Venezuela and its regional impact, and stressed the importance of seeking an international consensus for free and fair elections. He also recognized Colombia’s effort in offering Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelan migrants who have had to leave due to the situation in their country.

“To thank him for his commitment to defending democracy in our region and, like us, to call things by his name and tell who he is a dictator and seek that Venezuela have free elections”Said Duque about the opposition to the Nicolás Maduro regime.

The call also included a statement of solidarity from the US president, who ratified his support for President Duque, after the attack with six rifle shots that the presidential helicopter suffered during a trip to Cúcuta on June 26.

“Thank you for your support to the institutions of our country and also to those shared values ​​of protecting peaceful protest as a right and of acting with law and order against acts of vandalism or acts of urban terrorism, obviously with strict adherence to human rights and where there is zero tolerance for any individual conduct contrary to them, ”Duque said in a statement after the call.

As reported by the Presidency, Duque extended an invitation to President Joe Biden to visit the country in the company of the first lady of the United States, Jill Biden. It should be remembered that the current US president already visited the country in 2016, when he was vice president of the Barack Obama administration.

“Thank you for your commitment to accompany our climate change agenda, where we reduce emissions by 51% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality in 2050. That conversation reaffirms how the public servants of two sister nations can work towards common purposes, guided by building a better society.”, Iván Duque pointed out about the conversation.

The designated Colombian ambassador in Washington, after the resignation of Francisco Santos, Juan Carlos Pinzón Bueno, thanked President Biden for donating the vaccines to the country. “The US has always supported Colombia in all difficult times,” he said.

“Big sign: Dialogue between the Presidents Iván Duque and Joe Biden It is a sign of confidence and strength in the strategic relationship between the peoples of Colombia and the United States.Pinzón added on his Twitter account.

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