US promises $1bn in security aid to Colombia

Colombia’s newly inaugurated right-wing president, Abelardo De La Espriella, has received a planned $1 billion U.S. security assistance package from the Trump administration.

De La Espriella has pledged to aggressively combat drug trafficking and armed groups while reducing government spending and expanding the oil and gas sector.

He warned criminal and narco-terrorist groups that they must surrender or face a forceful response, saying peace talks with armed groups had been exhausted.

The president also plans to eradicate coca crops and join a regional security initiative created by President Trump, The Guardian has reported.

His election reflects a broader shift to the political right across Latin America, though many of his proposed reforms will require approval from Colombia’s divided Congress.