The new Government of Abelardo de la Espriella has formalized this Wednesday the incorporation of Colombia to the Coalition of the Americas against the Cartels (A3C), integrated in the initiative known as Shield of the Americas, promoted by Donald Trump. The Colombian Ministry of Defense has also confirmed a bilateral agreement with the United States to strengthen military cooperation and coordinate efforts against terrorist and criminal organizations.
The announcement represents a shift in the relationship between Bogotá and Washington after the stage of Gustavo Petro. The entry into the coalition had already been announced by De la Espriella during the campaign and is now materializing, just a few days after his arrival at the Presidency. The Colombian Government itself presents the new stage as a joint response to threats that, it claims, “do not recognize borders.”
What Colombia and the United States have agreed
The Colombian Minister of Defense, Jorge Eduardo Mora, and the U.S. Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, formalized a bilateral cooperation agreement. According to the statement released by the Ministry of Defense of Colombia, the objective is to strengthen the joint work between the Colombian Public Force and the U.S. Department of War through the exchange of information, coordination of efforts, and greater operational effectiveness against terrorist and criminal organizations.
The Colombian document also states that Bogotá has made its capabilities and experience available for this cooperation to participate in strategic efforts in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, along with the other nations that are part of the coalition.
Hegseth went further when presenting the agreement in Panama. The U.S. Secretary of War stated that Colombia had requested the collaboration of the United States to carry out joint military operations against “narcoterrorism”. Reuters also reported that the U.S. official raised the possibility of operations against Colombian armed groups designated as terrorist organizations by Washington, including the ELN and remnants of the FARC.
For now, neither the Colombian statement nor the information published by the consulted sources detail a schedule of operations, the number of American soldiers that would participate, or the specific rules of engagement. Therefore, it cannot be stated that there is already a deployment of American troops to carry out attacks on Colombian territory.
What is the Shield of the Americas
The incorporation of Colombia occurs within an initiative promoted by the Trump Administration to bring together countries from the continent in the fight against cartels and transnational criminal networks. With Colombia, the coalition reaches 19 members.
The Colombian Ministry of Defense has expressly wanted to state in its statement that the new cooperation does not imply a cession of sovereignty. The document indicates that the actions will be carried out with respect for national sovereignty, the Constitution, International Law, and the legal framework of each country.
The Department also states that international cooperation “does not replace or relieve” Colombia's sovereign responsibility to ensure the security of its citizens. This clarification takes on special relevance in light of the criticisms that have already arisen in the country regarding a possible American military presence.
The legal issue will also depend on the specific scope of the cooperation. The agreement known so far speaks of information exchange, coordination, and joint operations, but no document has been made public that allows determining whether there will be a permanent deployment of American troops or what type of presence they will have on the ground.