US Pledges $1bn Security Aid to Colombia's New President — SkimNews
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- US State Department announced $1bn in security assistance to De La Espriella's administration on his inauguration day, calling it a "cornerstone of this renewed partnership."
- De La Espriella, 48, was sworn in after winning June's runoff with Trump's endorsement, delivering a 75-minute speech at a military base in Cali.
- De La Espriella pledged to shrink the state by up to 40%, revive the oil and gas sector, and declared peace talks with armed groups "completely exhausted."
- Colombia will join Trump's Shield of the Americas program under De La Espriella, who also vowed aerial herbicide spraying to eradicate coca crops.
- Former president Gustavo Petro has refused to recognize the victory, and Senator Ivan Cepeda led an opposition march in Barranquilla calling for peaceful civil disobedience.
- Analysts caution that De La Espriella's most ambitious proposals will require backing from a divided congress and could be watered down in negotiations.
- Inauguration attendees included Gianni Infantino, Spain's king, and presidents of Argentina, Ecuador, Chile, Paraguay, and Panama; the US delegation was led by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Why it matters: $1bn in US security aid cements early alignment with a president who closed the door on peace talks and endorsed aerial coca fumigation, yet a divided Colombian congress and Petro's refusal to recognize the result mean his 40% state-shrinking pledge and militarized drug war face immediate institutional resistance at home.
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