Outgoing Duque warns against ‘stupidity’ of reversing Colombian trade liberalization

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Reversing Colombia’s trade liberalization “would be an unprecedented stupidity,” outgoing President Ivan Duque warned his possible successor Thursday during a final visit to the United Kingdom to promote trade and attract investment.

The Colombian conservative, who previously traveled to London in June 2019, met privately with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who in a video posted on Twitter “wholeheartedly congratulated” the Colombian people for their work to protect the environment.

He also met with Prince William, the second heir to the British throne, who is very involved in the fight against climate change, and with Minister Alok Sharma, president of COP26, held in Glasgow last November.

Duque’s visit, however, is mainly aimed at boosting trade with the United Kingdom after the treaty that will ensure the continuity of their trade relations after Brexit comes into force next month.

The United Kingdom has been the third-largest investor in Colombia over the past decade and the number one European country ahead of Spain, especially in infrastructure.

“British companies are already heavily involved in Colombia’s road network. We can now offer our expertise to be an integral part of Colombia’s new rail network,” Secretary of State for International Trade Ranil Jayawardena told reporters as he welcomed Duque to new trade talks.

“As one of the most liberalized, diversified, and globalized economies globally, we are in an ideal position to work with Colombia to diversify its economic development,” he argued.

“Market access barriers are another key issue for both our countries, and we are working hard to liberalize trade and maximize all opportunities for both our nations,” he added.

DON’T SCARE AWAY INVESTMENT AND TRADE

However, polls suggest that leftist candidate Gustavo Petro could come to power in Colombia’s presidential elections, the first round of which will be held on May 29, and challenge the process.

“When trade relations have been established that create investment, jobs, and opportunities, it would be unprecedented stupidity to break with that,” Duque said “in an undiplomatic way,” addressing “whoever will be the next president.”

“Those who discourage investment and trade today will only punish opportunities in our country,” he stressed, downplaying the level of violence Colombia is currently experiencing, with significant candidates threatened by paramilitaries and drug traffickers.

“In Colombia, there are often such threats in presidential elections; I was a victim of them four years ago,” he said, defending the fact that in the March congressional elections, “for the first time in many, many years, there was not a single candidate who illegal armed groups had assassinated.”

“Today, we give all the candidates all the guarantees” so they can “interact with the Colombian people,” he said.

And he highlighted the positive results in security and economic issues, including the decline in murder and kidnapping rates, multidimensional poverty, and informality of labor.

He acknowledged that “we must continue to fight against many adversities, especially the drug cartels,” and assured that the Colombian people would be able to go to the polls democratically, after which he called for “an institutional and peaceful transition, as has always been the case in Colombia.”

With information from AFP