Rubio set for Colombia visit as US-Bogota ties deepen: Report
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a launch event for The Foundry School at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, on September 3, 2026. (AFP Photo)
September 04, 2026 10:06 AM GMT+03:00
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to Colombia next week for talks with President Abelardo de la Espriella in Barranquilla, Colombian media reported Thursday.
The date of the trip has not yet been confirmed. If it takes place, it would mark Rubio’s first official working visit to Colombia since joining the Trump administration.
Rubio and De la Espriella spoke by phone on Aug. 18, when the Colombian president stressed the importance of close relations between the two countries.
“Today, more than ever, Colombia and the United States must be united,” De la Espriella said following the call.
Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella delivers a speech at the Pichincha Battalion after swearing in, in Cali, Colombia, August 7, 2026. (AFP Photo)
Trade, aid and security expected to lead talks
The planned meeting is expected to focus on diplomatic and economic issues, including trade and bilateral cooperation.
De la Espriella has reiterated a request for the temporary suspension of tariffs affecting Colombian products and discussed efforts to secure U.S. assistance following an Aug. 10 earthquake.
The two governments are also seeking to strengthen security cooperation, with drug trafficking and regional security expected to feature in the discussions.
The visit would come as De la Espriella’s government seeks to deepen ties with Washington while addressing economic and security challenges.
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Rubio previously met Colombian vice president
Rubio met Colombian Vice President Jose Manuel Restrepo in Washington in July, before De la Espriella’s inauguration.
Those talks covered security cooperation, the eradication of illicit crops, efforts to restore public order and measures to strengthen Colombia’s armed forces.
Restrepo also raised the possibility of Colombia formally joining the “Shield of the Americas,” a U.S.-backed initiative aimed at strengthening regional security cooperation.
Additional details about Rubio’s planned Latin American trip have not yet been announced.
September 04, 2026 10:06 AM GMT+03:00