New Colombian government would change US and Venezuela foreign policy, says expert

The incoming government of Gustavo Petro, who will be sworn in as Colombia’s president next August 7, may introduce variations in Bogota’s relations with Washington and Caracas, said academic David Castrillón.

“This will be an administration that will be interested in being an active member of the world, and that includes being a leader within our region and implies having some political positions, some clear political lines that, occasionally, will not be aligned with those of the United States,” Castrillón stated in an interview with Xinhua.

The professor and researcher at the School of Finance, Government, and International Relations of Colombia’s Universidad Externado noted that Petro, the first leftist president Colombia has had in its recent history, could make essential changes in the country’s stance toward other nations in the region and the world.

“He is an administration that is prepared to say ‘no’ to the United States when it is convenient for the country,” he warned.

For the professor, one of Gustavo Petro’s administration’s great challenges will be to look at Latin America and the Caribbean differently.

“Going back to the region, including re-establishing relations with the government of Nicolás Maduro (president of Venezuela) and working with the region on issues of common interest such as drug policy or the issue of climate change. It will be a challenge for this government to make these adjustments without seeing negative reactions, for example, from the United States,” he commented.

On Monday, July 19, the US Ambassador to Colombia, Francisco Palmieri, met with Petro and assured that at the end of this week, a delegation sent by President Joe Biden would arrive from the US to discuss with Petro’s team issues of vital importance for both nations.

In addition, the Biden Administration has had several approaches with Petro and his team to initiate conversations about issues such as the possible modification of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), among others.

“We see that the Biden Administration has maintained a very open, even very close disposition with Petro,” Castrillón explained.

According to the analyst, “the Biden Administration knows that it has to work with Petro, Colombia is a central ally for the United States in this region, it is an important piece in several fronts that are important and, in that sense, it will have to find ways to work with this Administration, regardless of who is in charge”.

On the other hand, the interviewee referred to the impact that Petro’s victory in Colombia may have on presidential elections in other countries and how a majority of left-wing governments in the region would give Latin America a unique voice.

“Petro’s victory and the decisions he has made in these weeks before his inauguration will show voters in other countries that a leftist government in Latin America does not have to be radical, that it can work broadly with others, and that it can make decisions that are of benefit to the people,” he said.

He added, “Petro is showing that it is possible to be leftist without being radical, and in that sense, this will positively impact elections in other Latin American countries”.

Castrillón said that although it is not the first time that there has been a wave of progressive politicians in power in Latin America, this time, the trend is much broader and extended to a country like Colombia due to two connected facts: the pandemic and the lack of a solution to historical problems such as poverty, violence, and inequality.

As for Colombia-China relations, the expert predicted they would be harmonious and enriching since the president-elect has assured that he intends to promote the deepening of ties with the Asian country in commercial exchange and cooperation to boost the development of the country’s regions.

“Petro, after his victory, has spoken about the importance of developing that relationship with China based on mutual respect and non-interference in domestic affairs, which shows an attitude of developing truly win-win relations that benefit all parties.”

Castrillon recalled that Petro had mentioned the need to work on rural development issues, particularly cooperation for ecological conservation and the fight against climate change.

In this sense, he was confident that Colombia would decide to join the Belt and Road Initiative in the coming years and that the bilateral relationship would be strengthened on issues such as development, the fight against poverty, and environmental protection.

With information from Xinhua