Colombian President Gustavo Petro will make an official visit to Haiti on January 22, 2025. During his stay, he is scheduled to visit the historic city of Jacmel.
A team led by the Minister of Culture and Communication, Patrick Délatour, has recently finalized preparations for this highly anticipated event.
Last Friday, Patrick Délatour concluded a second coordination visit to Jacmel, accompanied by a delegation that included members of the presidential security team and national police forces.
The purpose of this mission was to inspect the sites selected for hosting activities during President Petro’s visit.
“This second visit allowed us to validate the proposals made during our first inspection, streamline the necessary processes, and ensure that the preparations adhere to international standards,” explained Patrick Délatour. He emphasized the historic significance of this visit and its potential impact on Jacmel.
“This event holds particular importance for Jacmel because, since 2006, the president of the Conseil Présidentiel de Transition, Leslie Voltaire, had developed a strategic plan to establish Jacmel as a tourist destination,” Délatour added.
The minister expressed optimism that collaboration between Jacmel, which is vying for World Heritage status, and Cartagena, Colombia—a city already designated a World Heritage Site—could accelerate progress on Jacmel’s development plan.
Sites slated for visits during President Petro’s trip include the residence of Simón Bolívar, the remains of the former Belle-Air prison and iron market, the Cathedral of Saints-Jacques-et-Philippe (damaged by the 2010 earthquake), and the former customs house, which has been converted into a convention center. The planned activities will primarily take place along Jacmel’s coastline in its historic district.
Délatour also mentioned ongoing sanitation and drainage work, supervised by the municipality and the Direction Départementale des Travaux Publics, Transports et Communication. He assured the public that Jacmel’s persistent electricity issues “will be permanently resolved.”
For the residents of Jacmel, this visit represents a rare and significant opportunity. Many hope that the authorities will use this occasion to address critical issues, such as the rehabilitation of the semi-autonomous center, which has been out of operation since 2021. They fear that, without meaningful action, Jacmel will continue to face challenges such as poor sanitation.
According to Patrick Délatour, President Gustavo Petro will also visit the historic port from which Haitian forces departed to support Simón Bolívar in the liberation of Latin America.
Although President Petro is expected to spend only one day in Jacmel, an official source has indicated that a binational government council might be held during his visit. Such an event could mark a significant milestone in the region’s burgeoning tourism sector.