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., and we want to – we have a longstanding relationship,” Rubio said on Tuesday before his departing flight at the Homestead Air Reserve Base.
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 already joined Trump’s “Shield of the Americas” against narcoterrorism and transnational crime.
Rubio also 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.”
Related story: Rubio arrives in Latin America to push US counter-drug priorities with Trump-friendly leaders
Related video: Arrival at Barranquilla
Location: Batallón Paraíso
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