THE High Level DIALOGUE between Colombia and the United States began yesterday in Washington, analyzing each of the key issues of the bilateral relationship and with the delegations of both countries insisting that the bilateral alliance remains strong and with a long-term vocation.
At the start of the tenth version of this Dialogue, the first to be held under the Petro government, Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva highlighted the high level of the Colombian delegation to analyze the seven key points of this Dialogue: Economic, social and health opportunities; public diplomacy; environment and climate change; energy, mining and infrastructure; democracy, good governance and human rights; security, anti-narcotics and rural development; and migration.
“These are issues that were there in the eighth and ninth dialogues, but they did not have the importance they have today. Today there is a geopolitical dimension… Today’s conference (yesterday) transcends the usual; we are true allies, on the basis that we recognize our new role in the world… There is a new head of state who has a speech that is not surprising. There will never be a surprise on our part, with the relationship with our usual ally, which is the United States of America,” said the foreign minister.
Leyva argued that migration is a political issue for many countries and that is why President Gustavo Petro has managed to convince Mexico of the importance of holding a Latin American conference on migration as soon as possible.
Regarding drug trafficking, the Foreign Minister said that this “stopped being a Colombian issue. There is a multinational organization that is impacting the world. We saw that in Ecuador. In a single day, 11 attacks that left people dead. Speaking to the people, Lula – just after taking office – said: ‘President Petro, in Brazil the multinational drug company is creating problems for us. We have to attack them with intelligence.”’
The Chancellor wondered: “What is the best way to do this? Using the knowledge that Colombia has, and creating and holding a conference on migration that involves the entire continent to discuss drug trafficking. And we will not only comply with what was said in Havana, but we will also analyze the demand, because we are all in the same boat here. I think it is extremely important to highlight the call that President Petro has made to all of us”.
“…. This High Level Dialogue goes beyond the usual, and we are going to need the United States to be present, to be by our side on each and every one of these issues, because we are the same people, the same continent, the same security, the same problems, perhaps a little bigger now in the north, of course, given the global responsibility that the US has in its role in the world. But each one of the people you see here is an ally,” the foreign minister specified when addressing the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
Key points
The highest representative of US diplomacy began by recalling that as Undersecretary of State he had participated in the 2015 and 2016 dialogues and even led the last one in Bogotá, in 2021, already as Secretary.
“The dialogue, like a friendship spanning two centuries, is built on a shared foundation of two vibrant democracies committed to ensuring our people can reach their full potential. We recognize that when it comes to tackling the global challenges that are affecting the lives of Colombians and Americans alike, from the existential threat posed by climate change to the unprecedented movement of people in our hemisphere, we are simply better off when we are tackling these challenges together. And the ripple effects of our cooperation on these and other issues extend well beyond our two countries. They extend to the hemisphere; in fact, they extend to the world,” Blinken said.
He said that in this dialogue the idea was to focus “on concrete steps to strengthen our cooperation and work to generate tangible results for our people.”
“We recognize that in order to continuously and sustainably reduce violence, we have to tackle fundamental problems like corruption and impunity for crime and human rights abuses and the lack of economic opportunity…That’s why we remain partners, seeking to improve the rule of law and seeking access to justice. That is why USAID is investing 60 million dollars over a period of five years to expand opportunities for Afro-Colombians and indigenous communities…”, he said.
Blinken stressed that “ensuring equitable development is a central focus of the Ethnic Chapter of the 2016 Peace Agreement. It recognizes that there can be no lasting peace without justice and equality for the country’s underserved communities.”
On the issue of drug trafficking, the Secretary of State noted that “fighting these illicit groups and the flow of illegal drugs is a key part of our ongoing discussions on security, including here at the High-Level Dialogue. We are bringing a holistic approach to this challenge.”
“That means looking at ways to further reduce demand by investing in substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery for those struggling with addiction in our countries, because this is fundamentally a public health issue. And it means discussing ways to reduce supply, from strengthening interdiction by land and sea to providing vulnerable communities with alternative ways of earning a living,” he explained.
The senior official also stressed that Colombia is demonstrating how migration, when managed safely, humanely and as a region, can increase stability and be an opportunity and not a burden for communities. He pointed out that the United States has been a strong partner in this effort by providing more than 900 million dollars in humanitarian aid.
On the other hand, he stressed that “we will widen the roads for farmers, textile producers and other small and medium-sized companies in rural areas so that their products reach world markets and they can then benefit from the Free Trade Agreement between Colombia and the United States.”
“We will continue to work to help Colombia achieve its ambitious climate goals, from providing ongoing technical assistance on wind and solar projects to strengthening the protection of the Amazon,” Blinken said.
Neither of the two senior officials referred to the issue of relations between the Petro government and the Chavista regime of Nicolás Maduro, nor to the controversy over the agreement between these two leaders regarding the sharing of intelligence information.
moved first day
The X High Level Dialogue (DAN) between Colombia and the United States began yesterday in Washington and ends today. This is the most important meeting point between the two countries to review the issues on which the bilateral relationship is focused.
Yesterday the High Level Strategic Dialogue was held with US Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Finer and Assistant Secretary of State Wendy Sherman. The meeting was attended by the Minister of Justice; Néstor Osuna, the Vice Minister of Commerce, Felipe Quintero; the High Commissioner for Peace, Danilo Rueda and the Vice Minister of Defense, Rafael Lara.
Immediately afterwards, the High Level Dialogue with Leyva and Blinken was installed, who later had a bilateral meeting.
The first meeting of the Economic and Social Opportunities Roundtable was also held, made up of the Vice Minister of Agricultural Affairs, the Vice Minister of Foreign Trade, the Vice Minister of Connectivity, the President of the Rural Development Agency, the Director of the National Agency of Lands, with the participation of delegates from the Financial Information and Analysis Unit (UIAF), the Special Assets Society, the Directorate for the Substitution of Crops for Illicit Use and SENA.
Simultaneously, Table 5 on Democracy, Good Governance and Human Rights met, led by the High Commissioner for Peace and delegates from the Unit for the Implementation of the Final Peace Agreement, the Presidential Counsel for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, the portfolios of the Interior, Defense and Justice and the Secretariat of Transparency.