Colombia – US Relations in a ‘Very Good Moment’ Says Foreign Minister

The Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luis Gilberto Murillo, discussed Colombia’s relations with the United States during the 54th edition of the Washington Conference on the Americas. The head of Colombian diplomacy affirmed that these relations are ‘in a very good moment.’

The rupture of relations between Colombia and Israel was criticized by the US administration, leading some analysts to perceive a political crisis in the previously cordial relations between President Gustavo Petro’s government and the Biden administration.

Murillo participates to the Washington Conference

Minister Murillo engaged in dialogue with Susan Segal, President and CEO of the Council of the Americas, regarding the country’s stance on Venezuelan democracy and its relations with the United States, among other topics, during the 54th Annual Washington Conference: Advancing the Business Case for the Americas.

During his intervention, Murillo emphasized the positive state of relations between Colombia and the United States. ‘It is evolving, obviously in line with the evolution that Colombia is undergoing. The country is implementing very profound changes in terms of democracy, the structure of the economy, and also in terms of Colombian politics, and the United States has been connected with that,’ expressed the Colombian minister.

Fruitful collaboration between Colombia and the US

Murillo explained that the relationship between the two countries focuses on key areas such as “climate change, biodiversity conservation, all within the framework of social justice. US support has been crucial, and there are indicators of the results: we are reducing deforestation and restoring some key ecosystems in Colombia.“

He continued his speech by addressing other relevant items such as peace and human rights, ensuring that “the United States continues to support Colombia in the implementation of the 2016 peace agreement and is a key partner, particularly in the area of the agreement related to ethnic communities, Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities.”

Furthermore, the senior official highlighted that “for Colombia, the main export partner is the United States, and we need to maintain that position but we need greater investment from the United States to Colombia in new areas because we are changing the structure of the economy in terms of moving from fossil fuels (oil and gas) to renewable energy areas, business, development, agriculture, and others.”

US and Colombia collaborate on migration

The Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized that on migration-related issues, constant work is being done with Washington since “Colombia is a model in terms of migration. With the support of the United States, Colombia has received nearly 2.5 million Venezuelans and other migrants in the country. We have nearly 2.3 million migrants in our healthcare system, and seven hundred thousand children attend our schools.”

Murillo stressed that Colombia is working on regulations to accommodate 600,000 more migrants in the country with the support of the United States. “We have safe mobility offices for those migrants who want to process their documents to travel to the United States (…) also, in nine cities, we have integrated centers where these migrants are helped to integrate into Colombian society with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other agencies.”

Breakdown of relations with Israel

When asked by journalists, the minister assured that the rupture of relations with Israel “is not against the Israeli people.” In this way, he maintained that this fact should not harm either Israelis living in Colombia or Colombians residing in Israel. “Consular services will continue to operate,” clarified Murillo, who was emphatic about what motivated President Gustavo Petro to make the decision to sever ties with the government of Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Israel must comply with the norms of International Humanitarian Law and the resolutions of the United Nations. We believe in the two-state solution. The president (Petro) has repeatedly called for a Peace Conference, even before the regrettable events of October 7th,” recalled Minister Murillo, who defended the legitimacy of his government to decide its international relations.