Abelardo de la Espriella authorized the U.S. to conduct military operations against drug trafficking on Colombian soil

From Panama, at the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition event, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that President Abelardo de la Espriella authorized the U.S. to conduct military operations on Colombian soil.

"I am proud to announce that Colombia will join the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition under its new president, 'El Tigre.' Colombia requested that the Department of War join them in their fight against narco-terrorism," said Hegseth.

"Authorizing joint military operations to destroy terrorists and terror networks," he added.

The announcement evokes the days of Plan Colombia, when the government of former President Álvaro Uribe benefited from U.S. military support to significantly reduce the guerrilla groups that had sown terror for decades.

This marks a significant shift from the relationship that de La Espriella's predecessor, Gustavo Petro, had maintained with the U.S. And the current president of Colombia emphasized this point during his campaign.

On several occasions, de la Espriella insisted that his administration would rely on U.S. support in the fight against organized crime. That was one of his most significant campaign promises, as the main problems facing Colombians are terrorism and drug trafficking.

During Petro's administration, criminal groups grew stronger.

Last Sunday, just a couple of days after the inauguration, Abelardo de la Espriella was in Medellín, Colombia's second-largest city, for a cultural event alongside local authorities. He was accompanied by Joseph Humire, the U.S. Under Secretary of Defense.

Military cooperation between the de la Espriella administration and the Trump administration will be the spearhead of the new Colombian president's agenda. Just a few hours after taking office, the U.S. State Department announced $1 billion in financial support to assist Colombia with its security. A few hours later, Abelardo de la Espriella was carrying out operations against drug trafficking with significant results.

The 'Warrior Boy'

In June, the U.S. carried out an operation on Venezuelan soil that sets a precedent for the kind of offensives we might see in Colombia following Hegseth's announcement. On June 12, the U.S., with the authorization of Delcy Rodríguez's puppet regime, carried out airstrikes in southern Venezuela, where it neutralized the drug trafficker 'El Niño Guerrero,' head of the Tren de Aragua.

The operation against Guerrero was a milestone in relations between the U.S. and Chavismo, which now operates under a regime subservient to Washington. It is also a milestone at the regional level, but it reflects the doctrine the U.S. seeks to revive for the Western Hemisphere.

With Hegseth's announcement, Abelardo brings Colombia into the coalition that allows the U.S. to take the lead, beyond its borders, in the offensive against narco-terrorism.