Trump Administration Plans $1 Billion Security Aid Package for Colombia

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump plans to provide $1 billion in security assistance to Colombia under newly inaugurated President Abelardo De La Espriella, the U.S. State Department said Friday.

The proposed funding signals a renewed security partnership between Washington and Bogotá following De La Espriella’s election and inauguration. The new right-wing Colombian president has pledged to tackle crime and revive the country’s economy.

“As a cornerstone of this renewed partnership,” the United States intends to work with Congress to announce $1 billion in assistance as part of a security package supporting the De La Espriella administration and shared U.S.-Colombia goals, the State Department said.

Trump endorsed De La Espriella during Colombia’s presidential election. His administration also welcomed Colombia into the “Shield of the Americas,” a U.S.-backed military alliance of right-wing governments focused on combating drug trafficking.

The development comes as Trump seeks to expand U.S. influence and security operations across Latin America. His administration ordered the seizure of ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro during a deadly raid, while the U.S. military has conducted multiple strikes against boats in Caribbean waters, killing dozens.

Trump has portrayed those operations as part of efforts to combat drug trafficking and illegal immigration. However, human rights advocates in the United States and abroad have condemned the actions, describing them as illegal and imperial and arguing that the boat strikes amount to extrajudicial killings.

Relations between Washington and Bogotá were considerably more strained under former Colombian President Gustavo Petro, the country’s first leftist leader and a former rebel.

Petro repeatedly clashed publicly with Trump. He accused the U.S. president of being “complicit in genocide” over Israel’s assault on Gaza and called for criminal proceedings over U.S. attacks on boats in the Caribbean.

The former Colombian president also criticized Trump for endorsing De La Espriella during the election. The new $1 billion Colombia security aid plan now highlights a significant shift in U.S.-Colombia relations under the country’s new administration.