Colombia is over 1,500 miles away from the United States, yet the outcome of its presidential election will affect America’s security, its border, and its influence in the Western Hemisphere far more than many realize.
For decades, the U.S.-Colombia relationship stood as one of the strongest strategic partnerships in the Western Hemisphere. Built on shared democratic values and strengthened through Plan Colombia, it helped weaken powerful cartels, improve security, promote economic growth, and demonstrate what close cooperation between democratic allies can accomplish.
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Over the past four years, however, that partnership lost momentum.
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Under former Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a far-left progressive leader, Washington and Bogota increasingly pursued different priorities. The Petro administration distanced itself from long-standing counternarcotics strategies, criticized traditional U.S. security policies, and rebuilt closer ties with the since-deposed Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro’s authoritarian regime, embracing a foreign policy that often placed Colombia at odds with its closest ally.
The consequences extended beyond diplomacy.
As Colombia shifted its security strategy, coca cultivation reached historic levels, criminal organizations regained strength in several regions, and public concern over violence and insecurity grew. While many factors contributed to these challenges, they underscored the costs of weakening one of the hemisphere’s most effective security partnerships.
Colombians have now chosen a different direction.
The recent election of President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella represents more than a change in government. It signals that many Colombians want to restore security, strengthen democratic institutions, rebuild economic confidence, and reestablish Colombia’s role as one of the region’s leading democratic allies.
For the United States, that outcome presents an opportunity that should not be overlooked.
Colombia remains one of America’s closest democratic partners in South America. It plays a critical role in combating narcotics trafficking, disrupting transnational criminal organizations, managing migration, expanding trade, and promoting regional stability. When Colombia is secure and prosperous, the entire Western Hemisphere benefits. When Colombia struggles, the effects eventually reach the United States.
Today’s threats are not bound by national borders.
Drug trafficking, human smuggling, illegal mining, money laundering, cybercrime, and organized criminal networks operate across the hemisphere. At the same time, strategic competitors such as China, Russia, and Iran continue expanding their influence throughout Latin America while authoritarian governments in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua seek to undermine democratic institutions.
The United States needs strong democratic partners capable of confronting those challenges.
Colombia has long been one of them.
Which is why this election was not only critical for Colombia but equally for the United States and the Western Hemisphere.
Washington and Bogota now have an opportunity to rebuild trust after four years of growing policy differences and renew cooperation on security, counternarcotics, trade, energy, and regional leadership. This is a strong reminder that these crucial democratic partnerships require constant investment and cannot be taken for granted.
The relationship between the United States and Colombia has never been important simply because of geography. It matters because the security and prosperity of our nations are interconnected.
Strong institutions in Colombia help weaken criminal organizations operating throughout the hemisphere. A growing Colombian economy creates opportunities for investment and trade. Close intelligence and security cooperation make both countries safer. And strong democratic leadership in Bogota strengthens the broader cause of freedom across the Americas.
None of these outcomes serves only Colombian interests.
They serve American interests as well.
The next chapter in U.S.-Colombia relations will not write itself. It will require leadership in both capitals, a renewed commitment to shared democratic values, and a recognition that the challenges facing the hemisphere are best confronted together.
For years, Washington has worried about losing influence in Latin America.
In Colombia, the U.S. now has the opportunity to strengthen one of the most consequential partnerships in the hemisphere. What happens next in Bogota will not stay in Bogota. Good or bad, it will eventually reach America’s borders, our community, and our national security.
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The past four years demonstrate the repercussions of Washington and Bogota drifting apart. The election of Espriella offers an opportunity to fix that.
Strong U.S.-Colombia relations have long advanced the interests of both nations. They can do so again. Colombia has turned the page. The next chapter is soon to unfold.
Orlando Cicilia is the president and founder of National Victory Strategies.
