Following the earthquake in Colombia, De la Espriella asks Trump to freeze tariffs
Colombia’s new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, formally requested that the Donald Trump administration temporarily suspend the trade tariffs imposed on products from Colombia.
The request seeks to provide immediate financial relief to the Colombian business sector, which has been severely affected by the devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the country’s western region this week.
De la Espriella confirmed via his X account that he had a 10-minute call with President Trump, during which the president expressed his condolences for the fatalities in cities such as Cali and Pereira, where the earthquake left nearly 300 dead and destroyed nearly 13,000 homes.
“The conversation was very friendly and cordial,” the Colombian leader said. “I asked him to consider temporarily suspending the high tariffs affecting Colombian products, in order to provide some relief to our business owners, who are facing very difficult times due to the effects of the earthquake.”
The economic challenge following the change of course in Bogotá
During his conversation with the U.S. leader, De la Espriella emphasized the magnitude of the task facing the government: “I told him that we have an enormous challenge ahead of us: rebuilding Colombia in the midst of the extremely difficult and apocalyptic economic situation that I inherited.”
The tariff affecting Colombian exports rose at the end of July from 10% to 12.5% under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which covered 60 nations. The measure provides for exceptions in strategic sectors such as coffee and oil.
Strategic shift and security alignment
In contrast to the constant confrontation that characterized Petro’s administration, which the Treasury Department sanctioned and federal drug enforcement agencies investigated, the new Colombian administration has immediately reoriented its foreign policy toward institutional firmness.
De la Espriella formalized Colombia’s entry into the “Shield of the Americas,” an anti-cartel alliance promoted by Trump alongside pro-U.S. governments in the region, such as Argentina, Ecuador, and El Salvador, to combat transnational crime.
Likewise, the Colombian president plans to consolidate a trilateral military alliance with the United States and Israel to intensify the fight against guerrillas and illegal armed groups.