England is about to kick off against Colombia in the World Cup round-of-16 match. But the story of Anglo-Colombian relations should not simply be measured by the variable performance of each team’s on-pitch stars, Raheem Sterling and James Rodriguez.
Because while Colombia is now home to a thriving economy and stable democracy, that reality did not come easy. It did, however, come with a significant amount of British help.
In the 1980s, then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was growing increasingly concerned by the rampant criminality that had crippled Colombia. Cocaine exports were rising, and the drug lords were thriving, but the Colombian government was afflicted by corruption and weak institutions. So in concert with the U.S. government, Thatcher ordered the British intelligence community and military to provide support to elements of the Colombian government that were thought to be trustworthy.
British intelligence began working closely with its U.S. counterparts to support targeting operations against drug lords and other threat actors. But arguably the most significant effort came from the deployment of British special forces to the Colombian jungles. Led by the 22nd Special Air Service (SAS) regiment, British security forces helped develop their Colombian counterparts’ jungle warfare skills (an area where U.K. special forces have always excelled). Leading from the front on joint patrols, the SAS helped take the fight to the drug cartels while simultaneously giving Colombia a cadre of experienced special forces soldiers. The SAS also supported the development of Colombia’s top counterterrorist unit, AFEUR, in the aftermath of the Palace of Justice siege.
It was a gradual effort but one that paid dividends. Today, Colombia is the antithesis of the chaotic dystopia that is its neighbor Venezuela has become. And Colombian military and police special forces are also some of the world’s finest.
