President Gustavo Petro met Pope León XIV at the Vatican and requested assistance to safeguard Colombian farming communities benefiting from the agrarian reform.
The meeting occurred on the morning of Thursday, July 2, 2026, during the president’s work trip to Italy. Petro stated on his X account that he asked the Pontiff “to help us protect the farming communities benefiting from the agrarian reform, already hit by mafias that had recovered their illicit assets through corruption”.
The head of state added that when attempting to take possession of seized lands, they were found occupied again by mafia frontmen. He also warned that some associates of those groups seek to lead the Ministry of Agriculture once more.
According to the Vatican Secretariat, central topics included the humanitarian repercussions of conflicts, threats from organized crime and strategies on climate change. The Vatican expressed satisfaction with relations between Colombia and the Holy See.
