De la Espriella says Colombia will join the "Shield of the Americas" on August 7

Colombia is set to join the U.S.-led "Escudo de las Américas" (Shield of the Americas) initiative against drug cartels starting August 7, according to president-elect Abelardo De la Espriella. De la Espriella, who secured victory in the preliminary presidential election count, declared that Colombia will no longer be governed by a "complacent government with narcoterrorism."

"From August 7, Colombia will be part of the Shield of the Americas. Colombia will NO longer be governed by a government complacent with narcoterrorism, we will move to combat it as it should be," De la Espriella stated on social media platform X. The initiative, created by U.S. President Donald Trump in March, aims to combat organized crime and currently includes right-wing governments from countries like Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, and El Salvador.

De la Espriella's win, with 49.66% of the vote against leftist candidate Iván Cepeda's 48.7%, signals a shift in Colombia's foreign policy and approach to security. His platform aligns with the Trump administration's emphasis on a hardline stance against organized crime and immigration. Trump himself claimed credit for De la Espriella's victory, predicting he would be a "great president" and anticipating an improved bilateral relationship.

This change in leadership is expected to strengthen cooperation between Colombia and the United States, following a period of strained relations. The previous administration, led by Gustavo Petro, had questioned U.N. methodologies for measuring coca cultivation and faced sanctions from the U.S. Treasury Department for alleged ties to drug trafficking, accusations Petro denied. De la Espriella's incoming government promises a renewed focus on combating drug trafficking and organized crime, aligning closely with U.S. security objectives.

“

From August 7, Colombia will be part of the Shield of the Americas. Colombia will NO longer be governed by a government complacent with narcoterrorism, we will move to combat it as it should be.