Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos called new president-elect of Brazil Dilma Rousseff Monday to congratulate her on her new role.
Santos also congratulated Rousseff and Brazil for conducting democratic elections and expressed his interest in deepening the relationship between the two neighboring countries.
“Brazil is certainly a key partner not only for Colombia but for the region and the world, at this time that is sure to be the decade of Latin America,” Santos said.
Rousseff, current President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva’s former chief of staff and a former energy minister, was elected Sunday to the presidency. She was also a former guerrilla and was imprisoned and tortured for three years before being released and holding a variety of mid-level government positions. Lula, who was forbidden for running for a third term by the Brazilian constitution, picked Rousseff as his successor.