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Pompeo Makes Last Stop of Latin American Tour in Colombia, Focuses on Venezuela

His visit to Colombia followed similar trips to Brazil, Guyana, and Suriname.

September 22, 2020
Pompeo Makes Last Stop of Latin American Tour in Colombia, Focuses on Venezuela
									    
IMAGE SOURCE: NICOLAS GALEANO / COLOMBIA'S PRESIDENTIAL PRESS OFFICE
Colombian President Iván Duque (L) and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

On the final leg of his Latin American tour, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Colombian President Iván Duque, and discussed strengthening strategic and economic ties and their united stance against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and drug trafficking.

Duque, like the US and over 50 other countries, backs Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó. Following his meeting with Pompeo, the US Secretary said that they both support the “democratic transition for a sovereign Venezuela free of malign influence from Cuba, from Russia, from Iran”. Pompeo also announced $348 million in aid to Venezuela.

Duque, for his part, highlighted a recently released UN report detailing crimes of humanity committed by Venezuelan security forces at the behest of the Maduro administration, calling the situation “unsustainable” and saying that the “international community has to act to bring this situation to an end”.

Colombia has borne the brunt of the political and social crisis in Venezuela, as many have crossed the border into the country seeking respite from spiralling inflation and food and medicinal shortages.

On a bilateral front, Duque renewed his push for greater American private sector investment in Colombia.

Pompeo’s visit to Colombia followed similar trips to Brazil, Guyana, and Suriname.

In Brazil, he stressed the importance of Brazilian support for Venezuelan migrants fleeing to the country. In fact, there are currently roughly 250,000 Venezuelan refugees in Brazil, with almost 600 more arriving every day. Thus, from the $348 million aid package the US announced for Venezuelans, $30 million will be specifically set aside for Venezuelans in Brazil, where some Brazilians have grown disgruntled by their presence.

In Guyana and Suriname, Pompeo wished to celebrate the victories of the two countries’ recently elected leaders—Irfaan Ali and Chan Santokhi, respectively. During his visit to Guyana, he also met with Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque. In fact, Pompeo was the first American secretary of state to ever visit the two countries.

Aside from Venezuela, the US diplomat also sought to bolster economic ties with Guyana, particularly in light of Exxon’s discovery of a new and large oil reserve off the country’s coast in December 2019.

Pompeo’s tour forms a crucial part of the US’ objective to increase its reach in Latin America in order to deter Chinese expansionism and simultaneously shift its own supply chains away from the East Asian giant.

In fact, in August, the US National Security Council unveiled its new Western Hemisphere Strategic Framework. In it, the US mentions how it is seeking to expand its “deep geographic, economic, and cultural” ties in its “neighborhood”. Simultaneously it seeks to counter “malign political influence” and “economic aggression” of China, which it says has increased its “state-driven trade, investment, diplomatic, technology, media, security, and health outreach” in the region.

Accordingly, also in August, the US reaffirmed its commitment to investing in the development of rural Colombia through the Colombia Growth Initiative (CGI). In fact, it plans to invest up to $5 billion in private funds in the country over a three-year period.

Likewise, when Luis Rodolfo Abinader was sworn in as Dominican Republic’s 54th President last month, he was joined Pompeo to usher in a transformative change in bilateral ties.

Latin American and Caribbean countries also have a huge diasporic communities in the US, particularly in swing states like Florida and Pennsylvania. Thus, aside from countering Chinese expansionism, the Trump administration is also attempting to secure their vote in the upcoming US Presidential election.