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Colombia accuses Ecuador of meddling in presidential vote
Colombia's foreign ministry has accused Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa of "deliberate interference" in its upcoming election after he publicly promised to lift tariffs for a right-wing candidate.
Noboa frames talks as pre-election deal
On Friday, Noboa described his conversation with Colombian presidential hopeful Abelardo de la Espriella as a discussion with an "administration-in-waiting." He announced that Ecuador would scrap tariffs on Colombian goods starting 1 June, calling it part of an agreement that also included the extradition of Ecuadorian criminals from Colombia.
Ecuador had gradually imposed the tariffs since January, citing Bogotá's failure to secure their shared border.
Election could shift Colombia's alliances
Voters head to the polls on Sunday in a deeply polarized contest that could redefine Colombia's foreign policy and its approach to drug-related violence. None of the candidates is expected to secure an outright majority, setting the stage for a run-off on 21 June.
Left-wing incumbent Gustavo Petro, barred from re-election, has clashed repeatedly with US President Donald Trump over drug trafficking and American intervention in Latin America. Petro's preferred successor, Iván Cepeda, leads polling but faces stiff competition from de la Espriella and centre-right candidate Paloma Valencia.
Foreign ministry condemns Noboa's remarks
In a statement on Saturday, Colombia's foreign ministry denounced Noboa's portrayal of the tariff decision as a "goodwill measure."
"This meddling by a foreign leader in the democratic process of another state constitutes a flagrant violation of the principle of non-intervention in internal affairs, a threat to national sovereignty, and an attack on the democratic system."
Colombia's Foreign Ministry
Candidates offer starkly different security plans
Cepeda has pledged to continue Petro's "total peace" policy, which seeks negotiated settlements with armed groups involved in drug trafficking. However, talks have stalled, and violence has surged.
De la Espriella and Valencia, meanwhile, have promised a military crackdown if elected. Noboa has pursued a similar strategy in Ecuador, deploying 75,000 police officers to violence-plagued provinces in March-though the country's murder rate has since soared.
US-Colombia relations at a crossroads
De la Espriella and Valencia have vowed to restore Colombia's close security partnership with the US, which has frayed under Petro and Trump. Cepeda, echoing Petro, has insisted Colombia must not become a "vassal state" to Washington, though observers note that anti-drug cooperation has persisted despite tensions.
Petro remains one of the region's few left-wing leaders not aligned with Trump, particularly after the US capture of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro in January. Both Petro and Trump have hinted at the possibility of US military intervention in Colombia, following Trump's revival of the Monroe Doctrine, which asserts US dominance in the Western Hemisphere.
Trump has since shifted focus to Cuba, publicly discussing plans to topple its communist government, which he claims is "ready to fall."
