Trump anticipates better relationship with Colombia under new leader
Summary
President Donald Trump said he expects better relations between the U.S. and Colombia after the right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella appeared to win Colombia’s presidential runoff vote by a very small margin. De la Espriella wants to work closely with the U.S. to fight drug trafficking and has promised a tough but legal approach to crime.Key Facts
- Preliminary results show Abelardo de la Espriella winning Colombia’s presidential run-off by less than 1%.
- Iván Cepeda, the left-wing candidate, has not conceded and awaits vote verification.
- President Trump endorsed de la Espriella ahead of the vote and criticized Cepeda as a "radical Left Marxist."
- Relations between the U.S. and Colombia had been tense under outgoing left-wing President Gustavo Petro.
- De la Espriella plans to crack down on drug trafficking gangs and invite U.S. military bases in Colombia.
- His goal includes joining the "Shield of the Americas," a U.S.-led alliance to fight drug cartels.
- Some Colombians worry that de la Espriella’s policies might lead to past abuses like "false positives," when civilians were wrongly killed and labeled guerrillas.
- De la Espriella said he will enforce laws strictly but will respect Colombia’s constitution.
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