Rubio wraps up his tour of Latin America with the promise of a new 'golden age' between the US and Colombia
The secretary of state arrived in Lima after visiting Colombia and Ecuador, where he called for greater coordination against criminal gangs that the United States now considers terrorist organizations. Prior to his arrival, Peru joined the Shield of the Americas, a coalition spearheaded by President Donald Trump to combat drug trafficking and organized crime in the region.
Photo of the President of Colombia and Secretary Rubio
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, concluded a tour of Latin America in Peru focused on strengthening cooperation with the region's new conservative governments and combating drug cartels and criminal organizations. The tour, which included Colombia and Ecuador, is part of Washington's outreach to a new wave of right-wing governments on the continent. He stated that he foresees a "golden age" between the United States and Colombia.
Rubio arrived in Lima after visiting Colombia and Ecuador, where he advocated for greater coordination against criminal gangs that the United States now considers terrorist organizations. Prior to his arrival, Peru joined the Shield of the Americas, a coalition spearheaded by President Donald Trump to combat drug trafficking and organized crime in the region.
The visit took place against a backdrop of deteriorating security in Peru, the world's second-largest cocaine producer after Colombia. Homicides have risen significantly since 2018 in the country, which has a population of 34 million, while businesses face extortion by criminal gangs.
Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori stated that her country's participation in Trump's initiative will allow Lima to receive security intelligence more quickly and take firmer action. During a press conference alongside Rubio, she credited the recent arrest in Bolivia of a member of a Peruvian criminal gang to information provided by the FBI.
"Us getting involved in the region is not a favor. It is essential to our own security, to our own prosperity, to our own well-being in the United States of America," said Rubio, who insisted that Latin America is a "true priority" for the Trump administration.
The fight against organized crime
During his visit to Quito on Wednesday, Rubio announced that the United States would designate Los Tiguerones, one of Ecuador's most powerful criminal gangs, as a terrorist organization. The measure would prevent the group from accessing the U.S. financial system.
Washington has already applied similar designations to other Ecuadorian gangs, Venezuela's Tren de Aragua and Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel.
A new chapter in relations between Washington and Bogotá
At his first stop, Colombia, Rubio presented President Abelardo de la Espriella's rise to power as part of a broader regional trend. The U.S. secretary of state celebrated the restoration of "natural ties" between Washington and Bogotá, following what he described as "the mistakes of the last four years," referring to the previous left-wing administration.
The rapprochement between the two countries is part of Washington's effort to strengthen its influence in Latin America and counter the presence of China, Russia and Iran in the region.
The Trump administration has advocated for greater U.S. hegemony over the continent under what it calls the "Monroe Doctrine," a term that combines the U.S. president's surname with that of James Monroe, the country's fifth president, who more than two centuries ago declared Latin America to be the exclusive sphere of U.S. influence.
LATEST
