Colombian rock star Juanes and President Barack Obama met at the White House on Tuesday morning, discussing a range of issues including the landmine situation in Colombia, U.S. immigration reform and the contents of Obama’s iPod.
The pair talked about President Obama’s trip to Colombia for the Summit of the Americas, scheduled to be in Cartagena next year, as well as Obama’s recent Latin American sojourn that took in three countries, El Espectador reported Tuesday.
Juanes has long been an advocate for alleviating Colombia’s social problems and among the topics discussed in Washington were the landmines that plague much of the Colombian countryside, especially in light of the army’s recent announcement of the FARC’s intention to step up their usage.
Turning the focus towards the significant Latin American population within the U.S., Obama and Juanes shared their views on immigration reform. There are currently 50 million Latinos and Hispanics registered as living inside the U.S., with an estimated further 12 million undocumented.
Aside from the discussion of somewhat more serious matters, El Tiempo reported that the pair exchanged gifts, with Obama paying the Paisa singer the ultimate compliment by mentioning that h had put his music on his iPod upon his wife’s recommendation, adding, “it’s very good.”
Juanes recently completed his U.S. tour, “P.A.R.C.E.,” in the nation’s capital and will soon embark on the European leg but not before meeting Elmo on the set of Sesame Street in New York.