The Diplomat
King Philip VI presented yesterday to the President of Colombia, Iván Duque, the World Peace & Liberty Award 2021 granted by the World Jurist Association (WJA) and that in this edition has been awarded “to the Colombian democracy”.
The ceremony took place in the Colombian city of Barranquilla on the occasion of the celebration of the XXVII Biennial World Law Congress Colombia 2021, organized by the World Jurist Association and in which more than 200 high-level speakers from around the world discussed the rule of law.
The King arrived last Wednesday in Barranquilla, where he was received by the Vice President and Chancellor of the Republic of Colombia, Marta Lucía Ramírez; the Spanish Ambassador to Colombia, Joaquín de Arístegui; and the Colombian Ambassador to Spain, Luís Guillermo Plata. Later, the King -who traveled accompanied by the Minister of Justice, Piar Llop- attended a lunch offered by the President of Colombia and concluded the day with a meeting with a representation of the Spanish community in Barranquilla.
Yesterday, the King attended the closing ceremony of the World Law Congress 2021, during which the ceremony of the World Peace & Liberty Award was held, an award that in the past received personalities such as Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Philip VI himself and that on this occasion, for the first time, has not fallen on a person, but on a country, specifically on “the democracy of Colombia” on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the current Constitution of the country.
During the ceremony, Philip VI said that, “now that the democratic rule of law is suffering in some countries of the world very worrying attacks, we must highlight the efforts of the Colombian people and its institutions to provide development, stability and vigor to its Constitution”. Iván Duque then received the award from the King.
