Rubio Opens South America Tour in Colombia With a $1bn Security Pledge and Minerals Pact
Colombia's new right-wing president joined a US anti-cartel coalition and signed nuclear and minerals agreements, but the trade deal Bogotá wants has yet to arrive.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio opened a tour of South America in the Colombian port city of Barranquilla on 8 September. He left with signed agreements on critical minerals and civil nuclear energy, a $1 billion security assistance commitment, and a new Colombian government eager to be Washington's closest partner in the region.
Rubio met President Abelardo de la Espriella, a right-wing leader closely aligned with the Trump administration, at a military base in the city before heading on to Ecuador and Peru. He said the United States hopes to conclude "good, solid" trade deals with all three countries soon.
What was agreed
The two governments signed memorandums of understanding on investment in critical minerals and on civil nuclear cooperation, under what they called a bilateral prosperity dialogue. The security package is aimed at upgrading Colombia's anti-drone systems, cyber defences and special forces.
De la Espriella also signed Colombia up to the "Shield of the Americas", a US-led coalition against drug cartels, with its regional headquarters to be based in Medellín. He said Colombia wanted to re-establish itself as Washington's "primary partner in hemispheric security", and expressed interest in US radar and drone technology.
Trade was the unfinished business. Colombia has asked for relief from US tariffs imposed earlier this year, and no deal was announced in Barranquilla.
The context: a region shifting right
The trip reflects a change in Latin American politics that Washington is keen to capitalise on. All three countries on Rubio's itinerary are now led by governments sympathetic to US goals: De la Espriella in Colombia, Daniel Noboa in Ecuador, and Keiko Fujimori in Peru.
Colombia's shift is the most striking. Under its previous left-wing government, relations with the Trump administration were often strained, particularly over drug policy and US military strikes in the Caribbean. The new president, who holds dual Colombian and US citizenship, has moved quickly to reverse that.
Rubio framed the partnership around what he called transnational criminal terrorism, the administration's term for the cartels and armed groups that run cocaine and other trafficking networks across the Andes.
Why it matters
The minerals and nuclear agreements point to a second US motive: competing with China. Beijing has spent two decades building trade and infrastructure ties across South America and is now Peru's largest trading partner. Washington wants access to the region's copper, lithium and other minerals needed for energy and defence industries, and it wants to offer an alternative to Chinese investment.
Not everyone in Colombia welcomes the embrace. Left-wing politician Iván Cepeda condemned the visit as a surrender of the country's sovereignty over strategic resources. Some analysts warn that tying Colombia's security policy so closely to one US administration could leave it exposed if Washington's politics change.
Key points
- Rubio and De la Espriella signed agreements on critical minerals and civil nuclear energy.
- The US committed $1 billion in security assistance to Colombia.
- Colombia joined the US-led "Shield of the Americas" anti-cartel coalition, with a headquarters planned for Medellín.
- No trade deal was signed; Colombia is seeking tariff relief.
- Rubio's tour continues to Ecuador and Peru.
What comes next
The remaining stops will show whether Washington can turn political goodwill into trade agreements. Ecuador's Noboa has been one of the region's most enthusiastic US allies, while Peru, deeply tied to Chinese trade, is the more delicate test.
For Colombia, the immediate questions are how quickly the security money arrives and whether tariff relief follows. For the region, Rubio's trip is a signal that the United States is back in South America with a clear offer: security help and investment for governments willing to line up behind it.
Image: U.S. Department of State via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain