Gustavo Petro’s triumph does not take the US establishment by surprise. The possibility that the left would finally reach the government in Colombia was an increasingly concrete possibility, especially when from the north they warned that neither the official Federico “Fico” Gutiérrez nor the other candidate defeated in the ballot, Rodolfo Hernández, could catch up with Petro in popularity and votes.
Hence the interest in binding fundamental agreements before a change of government took place, which many considered inevitable. The two hundred years of diplomatic relations between the two countries was presented as the right opportunity to carry out an agreement of this nature.
Indeed, on May 26, three days before the first electoral round that would consecrate Petro as the most voted candidate, a project was presented in Washington that sought to codify the current designation of Colombia as an “extra NATO ally” as law. From the US government, it was noted that this was the third Latin American country to receive this distinction and that NATO currently had only 17 allies worldwide.
On the other hand, it is a geopolitical condition of enormous importance whose treatment was extremely urgent in the event of the global expansion of the crisis between Russia, Ukraine and the North Atlantic bloc.
Conceived as the “Bicentennial Bill”, it was officially published less than a month ago by powerful Democratic leader Bob Menéndez, head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In addition to Menendez’s signature, the bill was introduced by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.
The “Alliance between the United States and Colombia” project thus establishes the common fight against corruption, which is presented as the articulating axis of a strategic agreement that also aims to “expand the commitment on issues such as inclusive economic growth, peace and democratic governance.
A no less important role in this agreement is played by the need to establish common criteria in terms of “international security”, even more so if you take into account that participation in NATO provides Colombia with additional benefits in terms of defense and foreign trade. .
Other aspects of the agreement between the two countries include the formation of an advisory committee to advance bilateral cooperation in security and cyber defense, the donation of 200 million dollars to support investments in the technological sector of Colombia and the elaboration of “new classified reports on FARC dissidents and malign activities of countries abroad”.
Undoubtedly, the growing decoupling of Colombia’s foreign policy from that of the United States will become the first and main challenge of the government of Gustavo Petro. Practically from this impulse a management that is born conditioned from the start by powerful external factors must be nurtured.
Meanwhile, from Washington, the main Democratic swordsmen will do everything possible to maintain relations as they have been established until now, in the awareness that any defeat in this regard will imply a further weakening of the Joe Biden government.
