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🇲🇽 Mexico /Elections & Politics

Marco Rubio begins Latin American tour to strengthen U.S. influence, starting in Colombia

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is beginning a Latin American tour in Colombia, where he will meet President Abelardo de la Espriella before traveling to Ecuador and Peru.
  • Washington says the trip will focus on cooperation against narcoterrorism, trade relations and Colombia’s reconstruction after an earthquake that killed more than 330 people.
  • Colombia’s new right-wing government has authorized joint military operations with the United States, launched airstrikes against cocaine cartels and joined a Trump-led regional anti-drug coalition.

Marco Rubio is opening his Latin American tour in Colombia, where Washington has found a new ally in President Abelardo de la Espriella, a Trump admirer who campaigned on a hard-line approach to crime.

Rubio is scheduled to meet the Colombian leader at a military garrison in Barranquilla. De la Espriella, a 48-year-old millionaire lawyer described as outspoken, defeated the left in June elections. His government has moved quickly to rebuild ties with the United States after the strained relationship between Donald Trump and his predecessor, leftist Gustavo Petro.

strengthen cooperation in the joint fight against narcoterrorism

· U.S. State DepartmentThe department described the main security objective of Rubio’s regional tour.

During his first month in office, De la Espriella launched a plan to weaken powerful cocaine cartels through bombings and ended peace negotiations initiated by Petro. His government has also authorized joint military operations with the United States. In August, it hosted the head of the U.S. Southern Command to discuss its strategy against drug trafficking, and it joined the Shield of the Americas, a Trump-led coalition targeting drug trafficking in the region.

deepen trade relations

· U.S. State DepartmentThe department cited trade ties as another goal of the trip.

The State Department says Rubio’s trip aims to “strengthen cooperation in the joint fight against narcoterrorism” and “deepen trade relations” with Colombia, Peru and Ecuador. In Barranquilla, he will also discuss reconstruction after the devastating Aug. 10 earthquake that killed more than 330 people, according to State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott. The quake destroyed schools, hospitals and thousands of homes.

De la Espriella has requested U.S. assistance and a suspension of tariffs to help reconstruction. Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bula said the meeting “shows the beginning of the reconstruction of a strategic alliance with the United States, our main partner in the region.” Rubio will then travel to Quito to meet Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and to Lima for talks with Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori. The tour follows a wave of electoral victories for right-wing candidates in Latin America.

shows the beginning of the reconstruction of a strategic alliance with the United States, our main partner in the region

· Omar BulaColombia’s foreign minister described the significance of Rubio’s meeting with the new government.
About this summary

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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