It has been less than a week since Abelardo de la Espriella became president of Colombia, and he is already giving signs that his government and that of Donald Trump are planning much closer ties. Gone are the days of confrontation with the leftist ex-president Gustavo Petro. Washington DC now sees Bogotá as an ally. In this context, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday announced that he has been authorized by De la Espriella’s government to conduct joint military operations on Colombian territory, a decision that carries major consequences for the South American country.
“Colombia has already requested that the Department of War join Colombia in its fight against narco-terrorism, authorizing joint military operations to destroy terrorists and terror networks,” Hegseth said in Panama City, adding that Colombia will join also join the “Shield of the Americas” initiative, a coalition funded by Trump that already has 18 members and whose goal is to fight drug trafficking in the region.
Joining this alliance was one of De la Espriella’s main campaign promises. His first speech after his inauguration underscored the need to battle narcoterrorism and criminal organizations, and he always left a door open to do so in collaboration with other countries.
The opposition has called it a “relinquishment of sovereignty,” and claims that it is also unconstitutional. Several members of Congress have cited Article 173 of the Political Constitution, which states that it is up to the Senate to allow the transit of foreign troops on Colombian territory.
Colombia is the biggest producer of cocaine in the world, and the U.S. is the biggest consumer. If it went into effect, the collaboration would allow De la Espriella to count on one of the most powerful armies in the world, as well as its intelligence services, to fight around 30 armed groups with over 20,000 members disseminated throughout the country.
Colombia is the latest country to reach such a deal with Washington. In March, Ecuador announced it launched military operations with the U.S. on its own territory against organizations that have been designated terrorist groups by the White House, such as Los Lobos and Los Choneros. And in June, the government of Venezuela worked with Washington to kill El Niño Guerrero, head of the Tren de Aragua, one of the most powerful criminal gangs in Latin America.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition
