Colombia: WH Nat Sec Team Dispatched For Talks With Petro And Duque

White House Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer will head a White House delegation travelling to Colombia today for two days of talks with outgoing President Ivan Duque, President-Elect Gustavo Petro, and Vice President-Elect Francia Marquez.

• The White House says discussions will focus on climate change, peace implementation, combating criminal groups, and "advancing equitable and sustainable economic growth for both our countries."
• The delegation said ahead of the trip that they intend "to put an end to any speculation that they were not going to work closely with [Petro's] government. Colombia is a fundamental and critical ally for the United States."
• A US official preview of the trip, per Reuters: The trip "could be a test for what has long been one of the closest U.S. partnerships in Latin America," and the delegation plans “to listen and to understand the contours and the nuances" of Petro's plans for Colombia.
• The meetings are expected to broach Petro's stated intention to normalise relations with the Venezuelan regime of Nicolás Maduro as there are concerns in Washington that such a move would undermine US sanctions.
• The delegation may also discuss the 2012 trade accord but said to reporters that "conversations relating to the US-Colombia trade promotion agreement will be led by the U.S. Trade Representative.”