Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro reaffirm bilateral ties and energy cooperation before Colombia's presidential transition.

Brazilian president thanks Gustavo Petro for bilateral cooperation and highlights joint energy progress before Colombia’s presidential handover.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spoke by telephone on Wednesday with outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro, reaffirming the close ties between their countries, thanking him for years of bilateral cooperation and welcoming a recent offshore natural gas discovery as a milestone for regional energy collaboration.

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The call came two days before Petro is due to hand over power in Bogotá, marking the end of a period of close cooperation between the two governments.

According to Brazil’s presidency, Lula thanked Petro for the “productive dialogue” and “close cooperation” that characterized relations between their administrations. He also praised the outgoing Colombian leader’s commitment to sustainable development, social inclusion and regional integration during his time in office.

Beyond bilateral relations, Lula and Petro worked together on international initiatives, including the Democracia Siempre platform, launched alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and other progressive leaders to promote democratic values and counter the advance of authoritarianism.

Energy Cooperation

Energy was a central topic of the conversation following the recent discovery of natural gas at the Sandía-1 deepwater exploratory well in Colombian waters.

The discovery, announced jointly on Monday by state-owned companies Petrobras and Ecopetrol, was welcomed by both presidents as an opportunity to deepen bilateral energy cooperation and strengthen regional energy security.

Colombia’s Presidential Handover

Petro is scheduled to leave office on Friday, when President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella will be sworn in for the 2026-2030 term after defeating progressive candidate Iván Cepeda in Colombia’s presidential runoff.

Lula is not expected to attend the inauguration. According to local media cited by Brazil’s presidency, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira will lead the Brazilian delegation at the ceremony in Bogotá.

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