WASHINGTON — The United States plans to provide $1 billion in security assistance to Colombia’s new government, the State Department said, strengthening cooperation with President Abelardo de la Espriella as he begins a campaign to intensify the fight against drug trafficking and armed groups.
The announcement came shortly after de la Espriella was sworn in on Friday, marking a shift toward a tougher security policy following the administration of leftist former President Gustavo Petro. The State Department said the assistance would form part of a broader security package and would be developed with Congress.
“As a cornerstone of this renewed partnership, the United States, working with Congress, intends to announce $1 billion in assistance as part of a security package,” the department said, adding that the support was intended to help the new administration pursue shared goals.
De la Espriella, a 48-year-old lawyer and businessman with no previous political experience, won a June runoff election against leftist senator Iván Cepeda. He campaigned on promises to strengthen the security forces, confront criminal organizations and reduce the size of the Colombian state.
In his inaugural address in Cali, de la Espriella warned criminal gangs and groups involved in drug trafficking that they would have to submit to Colombian law or face action by state security forces. He also said his government would abandon the peace-talk approach pursued by Petro, declaring negotiations with armed groups exhausted.
The new president has pledged to eradicate coca crops, the raw material for cocaine, including through aerial herbicide spraying. He also said Colombia would join the Shield of the Americas initiative established by U.S. President Donald Trump. Washington sent a delegation led by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to Friday’s inauguration.
The security announcement comes as Colombia continues to face violence from armed groups and drug-trafficking organizations. On Saturday, a car bomb exploded at a toll plaza on the Pan-American Highway in southwestern Colombia, according to the army. Two security guards suffered minor injuries, and the military attributed the attack to dissident factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.
The attack underscored the security challenges confronting the new administration. Colombian authorities said troops were securing the area and searching for additional explosive devices.
The planned U.S. assistance now awaits work with Congress, while de la Espriella’s government has begun implementing its stated security priorities.
