The Kings Don Felipe and Doña Letizia have received with honors in the Plaza de la Armería the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, and his wife, Verónica Alcocer. Twenty minutes before 11:00 a.m., the president and the first lady left the Palacio del Pardo, which acts as the official residence these days. Mounted on a Rolls Royce Phantom IV and escorted by 11 motorcycles from the Royal Guard Motorcycle group, 15 minutes later they arrived at the Plaza de la Armería, where the Kings and the two delegations were already waiting. Doña Letizia and the Colombian first lady have agreed on the choice of a white dress, while the King and Petro wore suits.
After the interpretation of the hymns and reviewing the troops, the King and Queen and their guests greeted the two delegations. On behalf of Spain were the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez; the presidents of Congress and the Senate, Meritxell Batet and Ander Gil; the president of the Constitutional Court, Cándido Conde-Pumpido; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares; the ambassador in Colombia, Joaquín Arístide, and the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida. The Spanish entourage was completed by members of Casa Real.
On behalf of Colombia, the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Mines, Commerce and Education have traveled with Petro. The reception ended with a speech from the group of honors of the Royal Guard before the delegations entered the Palace to hold a meeting.
After this meeting, Petro will go to the Congress of Deputies, where he will deliver his first speech. The Colombian president has been very critical of the history of Spain and on the Monday before coming he spoke of the "yoke" to which they had been subjected.
Tonight a state dinner will be held at the Royal Palace in which Petro is expected to wear the necklace of the Order of Isabel la Católica. However, the president has already stated that he is not going to wear a tailcoat, as the protocol indicates, because "it is a symbol that has to do with the elites and with anti-democracy."
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