U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio gives a press conference during a bilateral agreement signing ceremony with Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella (out of frame) in Barranquilla, Colombia, on September 8, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AFP
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed on Tuesday (September 8, 2026) to rebuild relations with Colombia, saying the two allied nations had drifted apart under the previous leftist government in Bogota.
In a swipe at leftist former President Gustavo Petro’s administration, Mr. Rubio said President Abelardo de la Espriella’s government had inherited “a series of disasters” and was confronting “the mistakes of the last four years.”
Mr. Rubio spoke in Barranquilla after talks with De la Espriella and the signing of agreements on critical minerals supply chains and civilian nuclear cooperation.
He said the United States and Colombia had an opportunity not only to restore their “natural relations” but also to enter a new phase of cooperation “even stronger” than before.
The visit is the first stop on a Latin American tour designed to strengthen ties with a new crop of conservative pro-U.S. leaders in the region.
Mr. Rubio will also travel to Ecuador and Peru, where Washington is seeking to deepen security cooperation and bolster efforts against drug trafficking and organised crime.
Published – September 09, 2026 07:46 am IST
