U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in Colombia on Tuesday, the first stop on his tour of Latin America. During the trip, he will meet with leaders of countries aligned with Donald Trump.
In Barranquilla, Marco Rubio will meet with the President of Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella—a 48‑year‑old millionaire lawyer who won the election in June. A supporter of Donald Trump, Abelardo de la Espriella advocates for a hard‑line crime‑fighting policy. The new Colombia government is strengthening ties with its primary military ally after a period of strained relations between Donald Trump and his predecessor, left‑wing President Gustavo Petro.
Combating drug trafficking and earthquake recovery
During his first month in office, Abelardo de la Espriella launched a plan to dismantle powerful cocaine cartels through aerial bombardment and halted peace negotiations initiated by Gustavo Petro. The Colombia government has authorized joint military operations with the United States and, in August, hosted the commander of the U.S. Southern Command to discuss anti‑narcotics strategy.
Colombia has also joined the «Escudo de las Américas»—a coalition of countries led by Donald Trump created to combat drug trafficking in the region. According to the U.S. Department of State, the goal of the trip is to «strengthen cooperation in the joint fight against narco‑terrorism» and «deepen trade relations» with Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador.
In Barranquilla, Marco Rubio will also discuss recovery efforts after the devastating August 10 earthquake, which claimed the lives of more than 330 people in Colombia. The incident was highlighted by U.S. Department of State spokesperson Tommy Pigott. The quake destroyed schools, hospitals and thousands of homes across several cities.
Abelardo de la Espriella has appealed to the United States for aid and asked for a temporary suspension of tariffs to facilitate reconstruction work.
The «Donroe» doctrine and U.S. strategy
The U.S. Secretary of State’s tour comes amid a wave of victories for right‑wing candidates in Latin America. Following the return of Republican Donald Trump to the White House in January 2025, a number of countries—including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Honduras—have begun or confirmed a shift toward conservative governments.
Washington is demonstrating a clear desire to strengthen its influence in the region under the so‑called «Donroe» doctrine—a blend of the name Donald Trump and the surname of James Monroe, the U.S. President who defined Latin America as a sphere of influence for the United States over two centuries ago. This ambition aligns with the new U.S. national security strategy, for which Marco Rubio is a primary architect.
The tour follows the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro during a U.S. military operation in Caracas in January, and the recent announcement of an agreement with the interim government of Venezuela that grants Washington control over the majority of the country’s more than 65 billion barrels of oil reserves.
After Colombia, Marco Rubio will travel to Quito to meet with President Daniel Noboa of Ecuador, then on to Lima to meet President Keiko Fujimori of Peru. Ecuador is one of Washington‘s key partners in the fight against drug trafficking. Currently, the United States and Ecuador are conducting operations against vessels in the Pacific suspected of ties to drug cartels; at least five vessels have been sunk in the past week.
Source: Clarín
