"It didn't happen. Against many predictions, the meeting went well. I thought he was terrific, said the Republican. I like frank Americans, praised the Colombian leader. Colombia had a lot riding on that meeting. What will happen next remains to be seen, and the specific agreements haven't been made public, but everything suggests that the country is regaining an alliance on sensitive issues such as drug trafficking, energy, and regional mediation."
"There were also other concerns: that Petro would go off on tangents, that he would monopolize the conversation, or that, as some of those who saw him the day before the meeting warned, he would end up focusing on the cosmic. In some sectors, there even seemed to be an expectation almost a desire that everything would derail in the middle of the Colombian election campaign."
"For decades, Colombia has benefited from U.S. military cooperation, which was a key factor in bringing the FARC guerrillas to the negotiating table. While this relationship has persisted, its intensity has diminished. However, the country is suffering from escalating violence, for which U.S. intelligence and technology remain strategic. In addition, the economic link is vital: Colombia's trade deficit is partly balanced by remittances from more than three million Colombians living in the U.S. more than $13 billion a year."
A meeting between Donald Trump and Gustavo Petro in Colombia exceeded expectations and produced constructive results, signaling renewed U.S.-Colombian cooperation on drugs, energy, and regional mediation. Anticipation had centered on possible confrontation, tangents, or derailment during Colombia's election campaign, but the leaders exchanged mutual praise and avoided major incidents. Colombia faces escalating violence that makes U.S. intelligence and technology strategically important. Long-standing U.S. military cooperation helped bring the FARC to negotiations, though the relationship's intensity has waned. Economic ties remain vital: remittances from over three million Colombians in the United States exceed $13 billion annually, and roughly 30% of exports go to the United States.
Read at english.elpais.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]