Colombia: On 28 June, US President
Joe Biden spoke with his Colombian counterpart,
Iván Duque, to express his government’s support
following the 25 June armed attack on a Colombian army helicopter in which Duque was travelling, and to discuss security cooperation and Colombia’s efforts to combat the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. According to a White House press release, Biden promised to donate 2.5m Janssen vaccines to help bring Colombia’s epidemic under control. Biden also voiced “
support for the rights of peaceful protestors, underscored that law enforcement must be held to the highest standards of accountability, and condemned wanton acts of violence and vandalism”. This was in reference to the anti-government protests that have been staged in Colombia since April and which have been heavily repressed by the Colombian security forces. The two also discussed joint security cooperation and adopting a “
holistic approach to combating the drug trade”, the need to promote “
broad-based economic recovery from the pandemic” and the urgency of tackling climate change. In a press release Duque thanked Biden for his “
commitment to defending democracy in the region” in relation to authoritarianism in Venezuela and further highlighted the shared goals between the US and Colombia regarding their climate change agendas.
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