Colombia’s macroeconomic numbers exceeded original forecasts for 2021, year in which the country began its economic recovery, faced an extended third wave of COVID-19 infections and social protests. According to the latest data released by the country’s department of statistics DANE, the Colombian economy last year registered GDP growth of 10.2%, up almost 3 points compared to 2019. And last complete year before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
On Monday, President Iván Duque during a press briefing with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, highlighted that Colombia “achieved the highest economic growth in its Republican history,” and sign of “our resilience.” The economic sectors most confident in the nation’s post-pandemic recovery are services (66%), commerce (64%), and construction (61%).
Colombia backs Ukraine in NATO
President Duque remarks followed the signing at the European Commission headquarters of the Joint Declaration on Environment, Climate Action and Sustainable Development. After revealing positive economic data, President Duque met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, where he emphasized that Colombia “strongly supports the integrality of the Ukrainian territory,” and defended the sovereignty of nations to join multilateral organizations, such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), if they so decide.
“No nation can put pressure on any other country so that it does not comply with its sovereign right to join this important Organization” declared President Duque, and hours before NATO receives Defense Ministers to deal with “the most serious security crisis Europe has faced since the end of World War II. “NATO Allies have been very clear that any further Russian aggression against Ukraine would come at a high price. We have systematically exposed Russia’s actions, plans and disinformation,” stated Stoltenberg.
Colombia became an associate member of NATO in 2017, and first Latin American nation to be admitted into the treaty.
