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Source: WITA - The International Trade Association |
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Historical background |
The U.S. and Colombia have had a close relation for a long time. The U.S. was the first to recognize Colombia’s statehood in 1822. But there have been ups and downs. One of the earliest sources of tension came in 1903. The U.S. supported Panama’s secession from Colombia. The U.S. needed to ensure the construction of the Panama Canal. Many in Colombia saw this event as a breach of sovereignty. |
During the cold war, their relation focused more on security. Mid-century, a brutal civil conflict broke out in Colombia. It was called La Violencia. Liberal and communist armed peasant groups fled. They formed enclaves in the south of the state. Colombia’s officials saw them as a threat to the state’s unity. They were also seen as a threat to U.S. interests in the Cold-War era. The U.S. then increased its support for Colombia’s government to contain the spread of communism in South America. Colombia was backed by the CIA as part of Plan LAZO. The U.S. trained Colombia’s troops. The latter attacked the enclaves. Survivors then formed a new group: the FARC. FARC became Colombia’s largest guerrilla movement. |
In the 80’s and 90’s, the states worked a lot together to fight drug cartels. The DEA was largely involved in the hunt of Pablo Escobar. The U.S. also provided Colombia with forces, training, equipment, and financial aid. But mid 90’s, a crisis broke out when Colombia’s leader at the time was under investigation. He had accepted money from cartels to fund his campaign. Relations did not stay down for long. After 9/11, the U.S. further increased its support to Colombia. It provided economic and military aid to fight insurgency and terrorism. Indeed, the U.S. considered the FARC as terrorists. |
In the 2010’s, the U.S. and Colombia took their partnership to the next level with deals. The Trade Promotion Agreement in 2012 is a free trade deal that provides elimination of tariffs and removes barriers to U.S. services (including financial). Another broader deal was signed four years later. It aimed to benefit Colombia on many levels. It included: |
Preservation of biodiversity Punishing animal trafficking Limiting illegal gold mining Creating more job opportunities Funding education and student exchanges Increasing business relations Increasing the production of legal crops Address human rights violations
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Despite few periods when their relation cooled, the U.S. and Colombia kept positive ties. But these ties took a hit under the Trump and Petro. |
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Trump-Petro era |
Last year, their relation cooled. The leader of Colombia at the time, Petro, refused to allow two USAF aircrafts to land. The latter carried Colombian nationals that were part of Trump’s mass deportation operations. Petro wanted them to be brought back on civilian planes. Following that refusal, Trump imposed 25% tariffs on all imports from Colombia, to be doubled to 50%. But more measured were also to be taken. They included: |
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Petro responded with a 25% tariff and threatened to reach 50% too. The crisis was quickly settled though. Colombia agreed to allow the aircrafts to land. |
But tensions did not stop there. Petro accused the U.S. of interference in Colombia. He also criticized the U.S. strikes on boats carrying drugs and for its support to Israel. He called on U.S. soldiers to disobey Trump’s orders. The U.S. imposed sanctions on Petro for failing to stop the drug cartels. Other Colombian officials also fell under sanctions. They were all accused by the U.S. of being involved in drug trafficking. After Maduro’s capture, Trump even threatened to take military action against Colombia and Petro. This marked one of the most severe crises in US-Colombia relations. |
Game-changer: Abelardo de la Espriella |
De la Espriella won the elections last week. He replaced Petro as president of Colombia. One of his top priorities is to tackle criminal groups. He criticized his predecessor’s approach that focused on negotiations. He seeks a harder approach based on Salvador’s strategy. |
The result of this election is good news for the U.S. Colombia’s new leader is openly pro-Trump. He gained the latter’s support. He also seeks to fight criminal groups, which is a top priority for Trump in the region. He also plans to add Colombia to Trump’s “Shields of Americas”. This is a coalition of states aimed at cracking down on criminal groups in South America. |
There are also economic opportunities coming with these revived ties. The U.S. could deepen its relation with Colombia by helping in development, export credits and other tools to create gains. It could also add Colombia to its critical mineral plan. Indeed, Colombia owns reserves of copper and other minerals. Plus, the new leader said he will restart oil and gas exploration. He would then align with the U.S. goal to support energy security in the Western Hemisphere. |
Decoding geopolitics isn’t a job. It’s survival. |
Joy |
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