Rubio says Colombia inherited 'disasters' from Petro era

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a scathing assessment of former Colombian President Gustavo Petro's legacy on Tuesday, stating that President Abelardo De La Espriella's new administration had inherited a nation crippled by "a series of disasters" during a high-level summit in the coastal city of Barranquilla.

Speaking alongside De La Espriella following bilateral talks, Rubio framed the visit as a reset after a fractured chapter in relations between Washington and Bogota. "We have a lot of work to do, because unfortunately, this administration has inherited a series of disasters and poor decisions that were made," he told reporters, drawing parallels to challenges his own government faced when taking office 18 months ago.

Security pact resets hemispheric ties

The summit produced the newly minted "Barranquilla Accords," with De La Espriella signaling his intent to restore Colombia as Washington's primary security partner in the hemisphere. The initiative targets upgrades to Colombian military capabilities across advanced aviation, air defense, radar networks and cyber operations, marking a decisive break from Petro's progressive security policies. "Without security, a country cannot progress, and the security threats facing Colombia are the same ones we face in the United States," Rubio said, emphasizing that strengthening Colombian forces directly protects American national interests.

Return to aerial eradication

In a sharp departure from his predecessor's approach, De La Espriella announced an aggressive escalation against drug trafficking networks, confirming the resumption of aerial fumigation operations targeting coca crops. "We are going to start fumigating. We are going after the laboratories, the precursors, the routes, the drug kingpins and the narco-terrorist armed organizations," he said, adding that his administration would prioritize prosecuting money launderers and expanding intelligence sharing with US agencies.

Critical minerals alignment

Earlier in the day, Colombian Foreign Minister Omar Bula and Rubio signed a strategic memorandum of understanding designed to secure supply chains for critical minerals and rare earth elements, according to the joint statements. The agreement underscores the sweeping geopolitical realignment under De La Espriella, who has rapidly moved to align Bogota with Washington's strategic priorities on trade and regional defense since taking office.