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"Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticised recent military escalations in the Middle East on Saturday, warning of global consequences and calling for a shift away from fossil fuels toward peace and decarbonisation. "The aggression towards Iran and the extension of the war to the whole Middle East is one of the worst steps taken by any government in the world in recent times," Petro said upon his arrival to the IV Meeting in Defence of Democracy in Barcelona. He argued that global dependence on oil and hydrocarbons is worsening political instability, stressing that global peace and stability require moving away from fossil fuels toward a decarbonised economy. "Hydrocarbons in general, is causing increasingly worse political tension, the unravelling of international law and the impossibility for humanity to act quickly for its own existence," Petro stated. "This space that now opens up for pacification, for peace, has for humanity to reflect on a new agenda, and that agenda must be built outside of oil, hydrocarbons and towards the decarbonisation of the economy," he urged. The fourth edition of the IV Meeting in Defense of Democracy is being held alongside the first-ever Global Progressive Mobilisation (GPM) in Barcelona, bringing together around 3,000 participants and multiple world leaders in a joint two-part summit. Tensions in the Middle East escalated after the US and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28. Tehran retaliated with strikes targeting Israeli territory and US interests in the region. The conflict spilled into Lebanon after Hezbollah announced its intervention 'in revenge' for the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The group launched attacks on Israeli territory. Israel responded with airstrikes across Lebanon and a subsequent ground operation in the south, establishing a 'security buffer zone' up to the Litani River. On April 8, the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week conditional ceasefire, followed by negotiations in Islamabad that ultimately ended without a deal. Talks mediated by Pakistan are ongoing. Meanwhile, a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect at 12:00 local time on Friday (21:00 GMT on Thursday). Trump has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun for talks at the White House - the first meeting of its kind in decades."
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