During this trip, the SECI will travel around these two countries where Spanish Cooperation has been working for more than 30 years and where its presence in the post-pandemic scenario “is more necessary than ever”, indicates Pilar Cancela Rodríguez. “The pandemic has been a turning point in the sustainable development of Latin America and the Caribbean, since the structural weaknesses of the region may be exacerbated, particularly socio-economic inequalities, the dynamics of exclusion and failings in effective political participation. To that end, one of the priorities of Spanish Cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean over the coming years will be to foster social cohesion and the creation of more inclusive societies”, explains the State secretary.
Health is another priority area for Spanish Cooperation and, on Friday, 4 February, the SECI will attend the handover of a new delivery of vaccines donated by Spain under the COVAX Mechanism. Since the start of the vaccine donation programme, Spain has committed to hand over a total of 7,546,420 doses, thus becoming the leading donor to Colombia, ahead of the United States (6,000,000) and Germany (2,410,000).
The tour by Pilar Cancela Rodríguez seeks to strengthen the lengthy cooperation with the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean (Spanish acronym: FILAC), boost the activity of Spanish Cooperation Training Centres (Spanish acronym: CFCE) and observe the situation of displaced persons in two of the main recipient countries of Venezuelans and the work of Spanish Cooperation to support integration work.
Spanish Cooperation also contributes to foster social cohesion in diverse cultural and ethnic contexts that have had to tackle post-conflict social reconstruction situations, as in the case of Colombia, new challenges like the strong presence of displaced Venezuelans and levels of gender-based violence that are among the highest in the world.
The State secretary will complete a busy institutional agenda in the two countries, and a good part of her visit will focus on the fight against gender-based violence, meeting with groups of African descent and taking the opportunity to see the reality of indigenous women. She will also visit water and sanitation projects and a project to contribute to urban equality and sustainability by enhancing fairer access to public spaces and community centres with a focus on social inclusion and environmental sustainability. In this regard, issues will be included to provide a response to the migratory crisis and for Venezuelan refugees, stepping up attention for the migrant population in vulnerable situations.
Time will also be given over on this tour for the debate on social cohesion and democracy at a meeting with Bolivian thinkers. The SECI will also visit some of the flagship projects of Spanish Cooperation in Bolivia within the framework of the Development Heritage programme.
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