US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrapped up a landmark visit to Colombia on Tuesday, meeting President Abelardo De La Espriella in the coastal city of Barranquilla. The two governments signed framework agreements on rare earth minerals and civilian nuclear energy, and Rubio promised full US backing for Colombia’s fight against drug trafficking and armed groups—particularly those sheltering across the border in Venezuela.
Rubio offered no specifics on Colombia’s request to ease US tariffs, a step Bogotá hopes would help the country recover from a devastating earthquake on August 10. He said Washington is waiting for Colombia to complete a damage assessment before finalizing a federal aid package.
The secretary was blunt in criticizing the security record of former president Gustavo Petro’s administration and said rebuilding Colombia’s security forces is central to the relationship going forward. He revealed that Washington has already discussed with Venezuela’s interim government, led by Delcy Rodríguez, the presence of camps used by the ELN—Colombia’s largest active guerrilla group—and other armed factions on Venezuelan soil. Asked whether military strikes against the ELN inside Venezuela were being considered, Rubio said the matter would also be raised with what he described as Venezuela’s forthcoming democratic government, months after strongman Nicolás Maduro’s capture in January. He called cross-border attacks by armed groups, a problem for 25 years, unsustainable.
Read the full report at El Tiempo.
Source: El viraje en seguridad tras visita de Marco Rubio a Colombia: campamentos del Eln en Venezuela están en la mira (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: Tommy Japan 79, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).