Colombia: towards a new era of relations with Washington?

The new president Gustavo Petro (l.) with his vice-president Francia Marquez, during the announcement of their victory in the Colombian presidential election, on June 19, 2022 in Bogotá.

© Fernando Vergara/AP

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

After the historic election of Gustavo Petro, Colombia's first left-wing president, one of the first to congratulate the newly elected head of state was the US secretary of state.

But this could be the end of an era of privileged relations between the two American countries with the arrival of the left-wing president.

Advertising

Read more

In recent decades, Colombia has been by far the United States' most important partner in Latin America.

The fight against drug trafficking, illegal immigration, and more recently the opposition to the socialist regime in Venezuela... Washington has always been able to count on Bogotá's infallible loyalty.

But in the coming months, this high-profile strategic partnership could take a hit.

The president-elect does not want to refrain from “

” certain fundamental principles of bilateral cooperation between Colombia and the United States.

Starting with the fight against drug trafficking.

As part of

, the United States has invested 2,000 billion dollars since the beginning of the years.

However, illicit crops have multiplied on Colombian soil.

, observes Gustavo Petro who will try a new approach: a partial legalization of drugs and agricultural alternatives for rural areas.

A helping hand in Washington on ecology

In this context, the future Colombian head of state also plans to go back on a free trade agreement between Bogota and Washington which, according to Gustavo Petro, seriously harms the competitiveness of Colombian agriculture.

But there are not only sticking points in sight.

Elected on a progressive agenda, the first left-wing Colombian president promises to transform his country into a Latin American spearhead in the fight against global warming.

To save the Amazon rainforest in particular, he has already reached out to the Biden administration.

►Also read: Gustavo Petro, first left-wing president in the history of Colombia

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• Colombia

• United States

• Gustavo Petro

• Dope

• Climate change