LatinNews Daily - 22 June 2026

Colombia: On 17 June 11 US congress members led by Representative Jesús ‘Chuy’ García (D-IL) sent a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, expressing grave concern about “the brazen interference of senior United States officials, including President Donald Trump, in Colombia’s presidential elections”. The letter, which was endorsed by human rights groups, faith-based organisations, and research institutes, details how President Trump and Republicans in congress have strongly endorsed far-right Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella (Defensores de la Patria) who won the 21 June run-off against the left-wing continuity candidate Iván Cepeda. The letter describes De la Espriella as having “a profoundly troubling record that appears to run counter to U.S. interests and potentially to U.S. laws.” The letter comes a day after US immigration authorities arrested Colombian activist Franklin Humberto Coral-Garrido, known publicly as ‘Beto Coral’, an ally of Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, who filed criminal charges against De la Espriella for allegedly recording him without consent. A statement by a US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official sent to US magazine Newsweek said that Coral-Garrido had entered the US in December 2015 on a B1/B2 visa permitting a six-month stay and remained in the country for a decade afterward, adding that “in violation of our nation’s laws, he overstayed his visa for 10 years. He will remain in ICE [US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] custody pending removal proceedings”.

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