Trump anticipates better relationship with Colombia under new leader

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Trump anticipates better relationship with Colombia under new leaderImage source, Mauricio Dueñas Castañeda, EPA/ShutterstockImage caption, Abelardo de la Espriella has a lead of around 250,000 votes, according to the preliminary countByVanessa BuschschlüterLatin America online editorPublished18 minutes agoUS President Donald Trump has predicted a "much better relationship" between his government and Colombia after preliminary results suggested that the right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella had won in Sunday's presidential run-off. The official, but not legally binding, preliminary vote count showed de la Espriella beating his left-wing rival, Iván Cepeda, by a razor-thin margin of less than one percentage point. Cepeda has not yet conceded, saying he would wait for the results to be cross checked, a process which usually takes several days.

Trump had endorsed de la Espriella ahead of the run-off vote and derided Cepeda as a "radical Left Marxist". Trump-backed political outsider wins Colombia election, initial count shows Published1 day agoColombia's escalating, brutal internal conflict is defining its presidential election Published2 days agoSpeaking to reporters on Monday, Trump said that de la Espriella had "won easily", even though his lead of 0. 96 percentage points in the preliminary count is the narrowest in recent Colombian history.

The Details

Writing on Truth Social, Trump said he was looking forward to working together "to build a powerful relationship". The relationship between the two historic allies had suffered in recent years as Trump traded insults with Colombia's outgoing president, the left-winger Gustavo Petro. Trump had called Petro a "sick man" and a "drug-trafficking leader" without providing any evidence, while Petro had said that the US president was basing his immigration policy on that of the Nazis.

Following the US military operation to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January, Trump had also remarked that a military operation targeting neighbouring Colombia sounded "good". Asked by a Colombian journalist about how he saw the relationship between the US and Colombia developing following Sunday's election, Trump said "it'll be better, he is going to be a great president". De la Espriella campaigned on a promise to crack down on drug-trafficking gangs and criminal organisations which have long blighted the country, which is the world's largest producer of coca, the raw material used to make cocaine.

He has said that he wants Colombia to join the "Shield of the Americas", an alliance of Latin Americans countries and the US aimed at combating cartels. President Petro had derided the alliance's inaugural summit held in Miami in March, saying that "the 17 countries gathered are the least experienced in the fight against drugs in the Americas".

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.