US, Colombia sign memorandums of understanding amid «rebirth» of relations – Colombia News

Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed the “rebirth” of bilateral relations as they signed memorandums of understanding on nuclear energy and rare earths.

The two leaders met in Barranquilla, where De la Espriella lives, as part of Rubio’s tour through allied countries in the Andean region.

The president and the secretary of state hailed the improvement of ties that were severely disrupted when former President Gustavo Petro was in office.

During a joint press conference, Rubio stressed the need for security in the region, claiming that “the same networks, the same criminal groups that, although they commit their crimes here, they also commit crimes in the U.S., and they damage our people.”

De la Espriella said that as part of the “Barranquilla Agreements,” he asked the US for support for his hardline security policy.

We have proposed to the government—and today I reiterated this proposal to the secretary—the 21st-Century Patriot Plan to modernize aircraft, radars, drones, helicopters, anti-drone systems, air defense, mobility, intelligence, cyber defense, special forces, and maintenance and operations.

President Abelardo de la Espriella

The president promised to “start spraying, we are going to target the laboratories, the precursors, the trafficking routes, the drug trafficking kingpins, the armed narco-terrorist organizations—we are going after the money launderers, their criminal assets, and those international networks that pose a grave danger not only to the hemisphere but also to humanity.”

Rubio did not openly commit any US support other than the memorandums of understanding.

The unbinding agreements were part of Rubio’s wish list as the US seeks new sources for rare earths and miners that can be processed outside of China, which the US Government sees as its rival.

With the nuclear energy agenda, Colombia seeks to “strengthen its capacities” with US support. Both governments “reaffirm their commitment to international development and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.”

In order to create policy regarding the memorandums, De la Espriella would need congressional support, which he has yet to seek openly.