Uribe And The US Congress: A Troubling Alliance OpEd

[Judi Lynn]

December 7, 2017

By Maria Alejandra Silva*

Since the beginning of the Trump administration, the United States’ focus on Colombia has not been based in supporting their transition from conflict, but in reducing the country’s coca cultivation, while playing lip service to problematic opposition leaders like Alvaro Uribe.

Given President Trump’s clear disdain for “experts” and “bureaucrats,” Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fl) and Bob Menendez (D-Nj), both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, have become chief advisors on Colombia policy. Their influence is proving to be not only ill-advised for Colombia, but also for U.S.-Colombian relations.

Of particular concern is Rubio and Menendez’s close relationship with former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. Publicly, Rubio has stated that he is, “a big fan of President Uribe,” and multiple sources confirm that Rubio and Uribe are in constant communication, while others confirm that Uribe is a frequent fixture in the U.S. Congress.

This support was evident last year when Uribe held a conference in Miami. During the event, Rubio, accompanied by Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart and Carlos Curbelo, applauded Uribe as, “a leader who stands up for democracy in Colombia and the threat of a possible leftist tyranny backed by Cuba and Venezuela.”

More:
http://www.eurasiareview.com/07122017-uribe-and-the-us-congress-a-troubling-alliance-oped/