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Rubio Slams Petro's Legacy, Hails "Historic Reset" in US-Colombia Ties
(MENAFN) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio launched a sharp attack on former Colombian President Gustavo Petro during a Tuesday visit to Colombia, telling reporters that President Abelardo De La Espriella's incoming government had taken the reins of a country battered by four years of policy failures.
Appearing alongside De La Espriella in the coastal city of Barranquilla after a high-level bilateral summit, Rubio cast the trip as a turning point following what he described as a strained and unusual stretch in relations between Washington and Bogota.
"We have a lot of work to do, because unfortunately, this administration has inherited a series of disasters and poor decisions that were made," he told reporters.
"To a certain extent, we felt the same way when we took office a year and a half ago. But you are dealing with the mistakes of the past four years, and you have to fix them."
The pointed remarks reflected a dramatic geopolitical pivot underway in Colombia, where De La Espriella has moved swiftly to dismantle the central policies of the Petro era and realign Bogota with US priorities on security, trade, and regional defense.
"This high-level meeting confirms, through concrete actions and unwavering determination, that the strategic alliance between Colombia and the United States is stronger than ever," De La Espriella declared.
Security issues took center stage at the summit, culminating in what officials are calling the "Barranquilla Accords." De La Espriella made clear his ambition to restore Colombia's standing as Washington's foremost security partner in the hemisphere, with the new framework aimed at modernizing the Colombian military's capabilities in advanced aviation, air defense, radar systems, drone technology, cyber defense, and special operations.
Rubio pledged swift US support for the plan, arguing that bolstering Colombian security serves American interests directly.
"Without security, a country cannot progress, and the security threats facing Colombia are the same ones we face in the United States -- the same networks, the same criminal groups," he said.
Breaking sharply from Petro's progressive approach to drug policy, De La Espriella unveiled a hardline escalation against narco-trafficking and transnational cartels.
"We are going to start fumigating. We are going after the laboratories, the precursors, the routes, the drug kingpins and the narco-terrorist armed organizations," he said, confirming the return of aerial eradication efforts.
He said his government will also prioritize going after money launderers, seizing illegally obtained assets, and deepening judicial and financial intelligence cooperation with US agencies.
Ahead of the joint remarks, Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bula and Rubio put the realignment into writing, signing a strategic memorandum of understanding aimed at securing supply chains for critical minerals and rare earth elements.
Appearing alongside De La Espriella in the coastal city of Barranquilla after a high-level bilateral summit, Rubio cast the trip as a turning point following what he described as a strained and unusual stretch in relations between Washington and Bogota.
"We have a lot of work to do, because unfortunately, this administration has inherited a series of disasters and poor decisions that were made," he told reporters.
"To a certain extent, we felt the same way when we took office a year and a half ago. But you are dealing with the mistakes of the past four years, and you have to fix them."
The pointed remarks reflected a dramatic geopolitical pivot underway in Colombia, where De La Espriella has moved swiftly to dismantle the central policies of the Petro era and realign Bogota with US priorities on security, trade, and regional defense.
"This high-level meeting confirms, through concrete actions and unwavering determination, that the strategic alliance between Colombia and the United States is stronger than ever," De La Espriella declared.
Security issues took center stage at the summit, culminating in what officials are calling the "Barranquilla Accords." De La Espriella made clear his ambition to restore Colombia's standing as Washington's foremost security partner in the hemisphere, with the new framework aimed at modernizing the Colombian military's capabilities in advanced aviation, air defense, radar systems, drone technology, cyber defense, and special operations.
Rubio pledged swift US support for the plan, arguing that bolstering Colombian security serves American interests directly.
"Without security, a country cannot progress, and the security threats facing Colombia are the same ones we face in the United States -- the same networks, the same criminal groups," he said.
Breaking sharply from Petro's progressive approach to drug policy, De La Espriella unveiled a hardline escalation against narco-trafficking and transnational cartels.
"We are going to start fumigating. We are going after the laboratories, the precursors, the routes, the drug kingpins and the narco-terrorist armed organizations," he said, confirming the return of aerial eradication efforts.
He said his government will also prioritize going after money launderers, seizing illegally obtained assets, and deepening judicial and financial intelligence cooperation with US agencies.
Ahead of the joint remarks, Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bula and Rubio put the realignment into writing, signing a strategic memorandum of understanding aimed at securing supply chains for critical minerals and rare earth elements.
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