This week, the US and Colombia met in Bogotá for a new round of High-Level Dialogues focused on regional security issues. And although the topics were many –transnational crime, drug trafficking, terrorism and others–, there is no doubt that the threat from Russia, with its presence in Venezuela and other countries in the regionended up imposing itself in the narrative of the bilateral meeting.
The US has even openly expressed concern about possible interference in the upcoming legislative and presidential elections. In an exclusive interview with this newspaper, the Undersecretary of State for the Western Hemisphere, Brian Nichols, says that Washington “suspects” that Moscow and other actors are already intervening.
He also states that he is “very concerned” about the role of technology and external actors on the border with Colombia and refers to other current issues such as the suspension of aerial fumigation, the return of Venezuelan migrants, the reforms of the Police and the presidential candidate Gustavo Petro.
What would you highlight about this new round of High-Level Dialogues that has just concluded in Bogotá with the Colombian Government?
I loved being back in Colombia. Our delegation was an interagency delegation headed by the Undersecretary for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland, and it was an opportunity for both countries to coordinate a wide range of security aspects, but with a particular focus on electoral security, since it is an area in which all our democracies they face threats and we believe that we can have concrete cooperation now that Colombia is entering an electoral period. But also in broader aspects of strategic cooperation in defense, antiterrorism, transnational crime. Each of the agencies involved has the mission of delving into each of these areas and working on specific issues.
Precisely, in her comments in Bogotá, Secretary Nuland warned about a possible intervention of foreign actors in the upcoming elections. How concerned are you that some of these actors might “stick their hands” in the elections, as Russia did in its own country during the 2016 elections? Do you have evidence that this would already be happening?
There is no doubt that there is already a precedent for this, which happened in the US in 2016, and attempts in 2020. We have good reason to suspect that this is already happening in different parts of this hemisphere and in Colombia. Beyond that, she’ll leave you with Secretary Nuland’s comments.
And who would they be trying to favor?
I would say that the Russia expert at the State Department (Victoria Nuland) already referred to this and I refer to her comments. (Speaking to the press, Nuland made general comments about possible electoral intervention in Colombia, but did not go into detail).
The Colombian government warned last week of the movement of Venezuelan troops to the border of that country with the support of Russia and Iran. Did you bring up this topic at the meeting? Do you consider this a threat to the stability of Colombia and the region?
My concern is that Russia and other countries try to introduce conflict in our hemisphere. The presence, either with foreign technology or foreign actors, on the border with Colombia is very worrying. I have full confidence that the Colombian security forces have the capacity to face the challenges that arise, and for that they have the cooperation of the United States and other countries.
Russia’s deputy foreign minister recently warned that his government would not rule out deploying military elements to Venezuela and Cuba if the US continues to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty. Are these movements on the border part of that strategy? Some of his critics in Washington say the Biden administration is not taking this challenge seriously.
We don’t respond to every Russian bluster, but we do take seriously efforts to inject conflict into this hemisphere and destabilize the region or interfere with international sanctions against Venezuela. That’s troublesome.
What do you think is Russia’s ultimate goal in promoting these types of threats?
You would have to ask President Putin. However, historically they try to distract people from other activities they are involved in and impose their influence as a global power. Those are things they have done in the past.
The Constitutional Court has just temporarily suspended the resumption of the fumigation of illicit crops in the country that the Government was looking for. Are you concerned that this decision could interfere with the ability of both Colombia and the US to control the expansion of illicit crops in the country?
The use of aerial eradication is a sovereign decision, and I leave the decision of how to proceed to the Colombian government and people. I would note that I was in Peru twice, the last time as an ambassador, and there is no aerial eradication, only manual eradication. And in recent times, in Colombia it has also been manual. And when combined with comprehensive support to combat transnational crime, it can be very effective.
The US recently announced that it will return Venezuelans caught at its border to Colombia. The decision did not go down well in a country that has already received more than two million Venezuelans and has limited resources to deal with the migrant crisis. Can you explain to Colombians the reasoning behind that measure?
I want to underline the great leadership of Colombia in migration issues at a global level. The last time I was in Bogotá was for a ministerial meeting on this issue and the hemisphere’s response, which highlighted the commitment that exists to promote a safe and legal migration policy in the hemisphere. Colombia has been an example and we share that commitment. We have provided more than $290 million in assistance to help Colombia with Venezuelan migrants. At our border, we seek a humane, safe and regular migration where legal paths are offered for those who want to work in the US when they use a legal process to obtain permission. When they arrive irregularly, they can be returned to their country of origin or where they had their last residence. We have been doing that for a long time and it is not new.
Gustavo Petro, a former guerrilla fighter who has shown affinity for Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro and criticized US intervention in Colombia and the region, is leading the polls ahead of the presidential election. What does the US think of Senator Petro and his ideas?
The wonderful thing about democracy is that each country decides who it wants to be its ruler. We support Colombian democracy by saying that this is a decision of the people and not of someone outside the country.
The US ambassador to Bogotá, Philip Goldberg, recently invited one of the presidential candidates to his residence, but has not announced meetings with others. Some might argue that the US, by being selective in this type of meeting, would be interfering in politics. What does he answer?
The role of the ambassador is to understand a country and make sure that our relationship is broad and comprehensive. Ambassador Goldberg meets with people from all walks of life, and I think right now there are more than 20 candidates. To the extent that the electoral process reduces that number, the ambassador will have the opportunity to meet with those who remain from that process.
How satisfied are you with the steps the government has taken to deal with accusations of police brutality?
Human rights are an essential part of our bilateral relationship and our commitment to the Colombian people. As we have seen in our own country, the challenges to advance police reforms and respect human rights are great. There is no perfect country or police force. Colombia has made a strong commitment to reform, but much remains to be done. We expect and have received guarantees from the Government that they will continue their efforts to punish those responsible for human rights violations. H H. and that it will strengthen the institutions in charge of monitoring, both within the Police and outside. The purpose of the donation of 8 million dollars that we have just made was precisely to strengthen the training process regarding human rights. H H. and appropriate use of force, while raising standards in the selection of uniformed personnel to prevent bad actors from advancing in the Police and so that more tools are available to prosecute when violations are committed.
There was a lot of speculation last year about a visit to the country by President Biden that never materialized. Are there any trips or visits planned for the near future?
The relationship between our two countries is very strong and close. The pandemic has limited our ability to meet in person and unfortunately the omicron wave has complicated things. I have no news to give you in terms of visit, but I do tell you that it is a priority. And as we approach the Summit of the Americas in June (Los Angeles), both countries will celebrate these 200 years of bilateral relations in parallel and in many ways.
Regarding that summit, has the US already decided which countries they intend to invite and which ones not? I ask because there is expectation for the presence or absence of countries like Cuba or Venezuela.
This is a hemisphere that has signed and ratified the OAS Democratic Charter, and one of the pillars of the Biden-Harris administration is respect for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. And I hope that those who show respect for that will be the natural allies for the Summit. However, I want to emphasize that the host of the Summit has discretion over who they invite and we will have to wait for the White House’s decision on this matter.
SERGIO GOMEZ MASERI
TIME CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON
@sergom68
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