New “Colombia Plan”? Trump and Duque Build Tighter Relationship

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Colombia‘s President Iván Duque has announced the beginning of a new stage in bilateral relations with the United States. Under the title “Colombia Grows”, the US plans to invest several billion dollars in the Andean nation over the coming years. The program includes “rural development, infrastructure expansion, security and the rule of law” issues. Critics regard the latter points in particular as a potential powder keg.

Robert O’Brien, security advisor to President Donald Trump, attended the signing ceremony. “We have no greater ally in the region than Colombia,” he said. The USA will support Colombia in every way possible “to safeguard the country’s security and fight criminal organizations.”

Duque praised the agreement and spoke of a “new chapter of binational strategic planning in the 21st century.” He hopes that this agreement will establish itself as a model for development cooperation in Latin America. “The US government has recognized the relevance of our fight against drug trafficking and terrorism.”

The Colombian-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham Colombia) welcomed the initiative: “It is important that Colombia becomes part of the US ‘Back to America’ initiative, which is about relocating investments and production facilities of US companies from China to Latin America,” the Chamber announced in an official letter. “Colombia Grows” is consequently a decisive step in this direction.

Further details on the program will be explored in negotiation rounds in the coming weeks. A total of US$5 billion is planned for private investment in rural areas. This is intended to assist areas particularly affected by violence. But funds are also to be directed to the healthcare, military, and security sectors.

Adam Boehler, head of financial development cooperation in the United States, even spoke explicitly of a new “Colombia Plan” in this context, following the program of military and economic cooperation of the same name to fight drugs and insurgency between the two countries in the early 2000s.

The security strategy based on this plan led to a dramatic escalation in the conflict with the “Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army, FARC” guerrilla at the time.

Historian Oto Higuita summarized the consequences for the population:

“If one takes a look at the interests of the poor farmers in particular, the Afro and indigenous communities and the impoverished and displaced urban sectors, the Colombia Plan represents nothing but a tragic and terrible experience. Their rights have been violated, they have lost loved ones, their land and their possessions – not to mention the suffering and horrors of war.”

The leadership of the FARC party, the political successor organization of the guerrillas, reacted with the same indignation to the announcement of the new program: “This detrimental government wants to condemn the country to eternal war. As a good servant of the United States, it wants to re-launch the Colombia Plan, which brought only death and despair to Colombia.”

Another goal of the cooperation is to increase the pressure on the socialist governments in the region, namely Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua. “With the US-Colombia Growth Initiative, Duque and the US security adviser declared that they will ‘march’ against Venezuela. Is this the announcement of a Colombian-American invasion? Is this a violation of our sovereignty?” asked the left-wing Colombian deputy, María José Pizarro, in a rhetorical comment on Twitter.

In neighboring Venezuela, there is concern about the enhanced Duque-Trump cooperation. In May the failed invasion attempt was launched from Colombia under the name “Operation Gideon”. Although the Colombian government has to date denied any joint responsibility, it remains a fierce opponent of the government of President Nicolás Maduro and has already announced that it will not recognize the parliamentary elections next December.

Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza commented on this issue by saying that it was not Duque’s place to recognize an election. The election is a matter for the people of Venezuela.