Contributor: Colombia's flirtation with the Trump alliance could prove disastrous
Key takeaways
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- President Trump has given his “Complete and Total Endorsement” to the hard right-wing candidate for president in Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, for the second round of the presidential election coming Sunday.
- For a president to intervene in this way in another country’s election violates international norms.
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President Trump has given his “Complete and Total Endorsement” to the hard right-wing candidate for president in Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella, for the second round of the presidential election coming Sunday. More than expressing his personal preference, the U.S. president also noted that the “results of this Election are very important to the future of Colombia and its relationship to the United States” and that Abelardo “will have the total support and strength of the United States behind him.”
For a president to intervene in this way in another country’s election violates international norms. Of course there could be some backlash from Colombian voters, who will see it as an assault on democracy and national sovereignty. Especially because Trump, with the most powerful armed forces in the world, threatened military action against Colombia less than five months ago.