R. Evan Ellis, Latin America research professor at the U.S. Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute: “Petro’s visit to Spain reciprocated Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s August 2022 visit to Colombia. Sánchez’s ideological sympathy with Petro, as head of Spain’s Socialist Workers Party made policy congruence across a range of issues a foregone conclusion, but Spain’s assumption of the E.U. presidency in July for six months made the trip strategic for Petro. Spain’s leadership of the European Union will shape the content and tone of the E.U.-CELAC summit in Brussels in July, including on the issue of Petro’s ‘total peace,’ as well as on Venezuela. Sánchez’s pledge of support in the summit with Petro for the Colombian president’s peace efforts could include Spanish help in a future decision to remove the National Liberation Army (ELN) from the E.U. terrorist group list, although the specifics of Spain’s ‘support’ remain undefined. Sánchez and Petro signed a…”