Rubio meets with De La Espriella in Barranquilla to sign U.S.-Colombia deals on mining, nuclear energy

BARRANQUILLA, Colombia — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in Barranquilla on Tuesday to meet with Colombia’s new president, Abelardo De La Espriella, a right-wing ally of President Donald Trump’s policies.

Rubio and De La Espriella met at the Batallón Paraíso, a military base. Their agenda included signing deals on critical mineral investments and bilateral nuclear energy cooperation.

“They just had a free and democratic election. They elected someone I know very well, very aligned with the U.S.,” Rubio said on Tuesday before boarding his departing flight at the Homestead Air Reserve Base in Miami-Dade County.

The deals are part of a “bilateral prosperity dialogue” for stabilizing Colombia’s economy through long-term partnerships with U.S. industry, according to the U.S. State Department.

The Trump administration committed to a $1 billion security assistance package to support U.S.-Colombia goals. De La Espriella said the Colombian military needs to upgrade anti-drone systems, cyber defense, and special forces.

“The Colombians have never asked for American soldiers to come into Colombia and take on drug cartels. They have asked for our help and training … intelligence and targeting … specialized equipment,” Rubio told reporters after the meeting.

De La Espriella said he talked to Rubio about Venezuela to address issues related to security, immigration, narcotrafficking, smuggling, armed groups, and energy.

“Colombia will participate responsibly with the United States in efforts aimed at ensuring regional stability,” De La Espriella, who is a dual U.S.-Colombian citizen, said in Spanish during his meeting with Rubio.

Before the meeting in Barranquilla, Juan Carlos Gonzalez, a taxi driver, and Oscar Leguízamo, a street fruit vendor, were hopeful about the renewed U.S.-Colombia relations.

“That is in the country’s best interest,” said Leguízamo, who was wearing a white baseball cap with De La Espriella’s campaign nickname, “El Tigre.”

De La Espriella joined Trump’s “Shield of the Americas” against narcoterrorism and transnational crime and said the headquarters will be in Medellin. Gonzalez said he believes De La Espriella is going to change law enforcement.

“We have been a narco-state, and that concept is going to change,“ Gonzalez said.

In Bogotá, some of De La Espriella’s critics categorized the normalization of relations as an attack on Colombia’s sovereignty. Sergio Guzmán, an analyst, said the end of Trump’s presidency in two years could test the stability of the deals.

“The Democrats may win,” Guzmán said about the 2028 U.S. presidential elections, adding that De La Espriella’s first term ends in 2030.

After his trip to Colombia, Rubio plans to travel to Ecuador to meet with President Daniel Noboa and to Peru to meet with President Keiko Fujimori.

“We have a lot of common interests with them, both taking on regional transnational criminal terrorism and also economic engagements,” Rubio said in Homestead. “We’re hoping to wrap up good, solid trade deals with all three of these countries in the foreseeable future.”

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Location: Batallón Paraíso

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