The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, met this Wednesday in Washington D.C. with the elected Vice President of Colombia, José Manuel Restrepo, in a meeting that formally marks the beginning of a new relationship between the two countries after years of tension under the administration of Gustavo Petro.
The meeting, confirmed in an official statement from the Department of State, was called at the instruction of the elected president Abelardo de la Espriella as part of the diplomatic mission called "La Patria Milagro."
The Colombian delegation included the appointed ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Trade, Industry and Tourism, and Finance.
According to State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, Rubio congratulated the incoming administration and made Washington's position clear: "The Trump administration wants to be Colombia's partner of choice, offering transparent and high-standard options in critical sectors for the economic security of the United States and the region."
Rubio also celebrated the meeting on his social media: "A good meeting with the elected vice president to discuss the future of the partnership between the United States and Colombia. We look forward to working with the incoming administration of elected president De la Espriella to strengthen security cooperation and expand economic ties."
For his part, Restrepo described the meeting as one of the most important of the tour in Washington and outlined the topics discussed: "We reiterated Colombia's interest in being part of the Shield of the Americas and strengthening cooperation in security, the eradication of illicit crops, the restoration of order, and the strengthening of our Armed Forces, always with absolute respect for national sovereignty."
The elected vice president also emphasized the economic dimension of the approach: "We are exploring new opportunities to expand trade, attract investment, and stimulate economic development," and added that "strengthening the alliance with the United States means creating more jobs, increasing household incomes, and accelerating the social transformation that Colombia needs."
The meeting represents a radical shift compared to the four years of the Petro administration, which were characterized by constant frictions with Washington.
The most severe crisis erupted in January 2025, when Colombia rejected military flights with deported Colombians, triggering threats of tariffs and an exchange of accusations between Petro and Rubio.
As a result, Colombia was excluded from the Shield of the Americas summit held in Miami in March 2026.
The landscape changed with De la Espriella's victory in the second round on June 21, when he received 12,959,515 votes compared to the 12,708,695 of Iván Cepeda, a difference of just 250,820 votes. Rubio congratulated him the next day, stating that "the best days for Colombia are yet to come".
The new Colombian government has already announced that it will not establish embassies in Cuba or Nicaragua, which it describes as "long-term dictatorships," and that Colombia will formally join the Shield of the Americas on August 7, 2026, the date of De la Espriella's inauguration.
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