Colombian President Gustavo Petro and US President Donald Trump spoke by phone for the first time and agreed on a joint course of action against the smuggling guerrillas of the ELN on the border with Venezuela. Colombia blames the ELN for the violence and has increased security measures in the region.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro and his American counterpart Donald Trump have agreed to cooperate in the fight against cocaine-smuggling guerrillas who operate on the border with Venezuela, Colombian Interior Minister Armando Benedetti said Thursday. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
- The presidents of Colombia and the US agreed to fight against guerrillas.
- They will focus on the ELN group smuggling cocaine near Venezuela.
- Colombia asks the US for a tougher crackdown on the ELN at the border.
Trump and Petro “committed to take joint action” against the National Liberation Army (ELN) – the last major armed rebel group in Colombia, Benedetti said in an interview with radio station Blu Radio. The ELN partially controls the Colombian region of Catatumbo on the border with Venezuela. This region is known for the production of cocaine.
Cooperation against guerrillas
Colombia accuses the ELN of attacks and kidnappings of Colombian soldiers. According to the AFP agency, security experts also claim that the ELN has its bases on the territory of Venezuela.
Benedetti said the Colombian president asked Trump “to help crack down hard on the ELN on the border” with Venezuela.
Deployment of thousands of soldiers
According to Colombia’s Ministry of Defense, the presence of guerrilla leaders in the border area after the capture of Maduro poses a threat to Colombia’s national security. Following his transfer to New York, Bogota issued a warning of possible attacks and deployed thousands of soldiers along the more than 2,200-kilometer border.
In recent days, Trump has called Colombian President Gustavo Petro a drug lord and told him to “watch out” without providing evidence. In response, Petro said that he is willing to take up arms for his country.
Improving Leaders’ Relationships
The leaders of Colombia and the US spoke on the phone for the first time on Wednesday, easing tensions in bilateral relations. The American president indicated that the conversation was friendly. He invited the Colombian leader to the White House for an official visit.
