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Rejection of partnership: Russia may play on Colombia's contradictions with the United States
Relations between Colombia and the United States are straining due to Washington's actions in Latin America. Bogota recalled its ambassador for consultations, announced the suspension of intelligence sharing with the United States, and also threatened to abandon the status of a global partner of NATO in the region. CNN has already included the republic in the group of opponents of the United States in Latin America. The situation opens up new opportunities for cooperation with Russia. Moscow, in particular, wants to strengthen cooperation with Colombia through the United Nations, Russian diplomats told Izvestia. In 2026, Bogota will join the Security Council for two years. Whether Colombia can become an ally of the Russian Federation and how the policy of the White House affects its relations with other Latin American countries — in the Izvestia article.
Colombia leaves the US zone of influence
The only global partner of NATO in Latin America and, until recently, a close ally of the United States in the region, Colombia, turned out to be among the states unfriendly to Washington. Although it's still unofficial. Along with Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, CNN has added the republic to the group of opponents of the United States in Latin America.
President of Colombia Gustavo Petro
The conflict between Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro broke out almost in the first days after the arrival of the new American administration. In January, Petro refused to accept a deportation flight from the United States because the Colombians were being transported in inhumane conditions. There were threats from both sides to impose duties, but in the end the conflict was resolved.
In June, the head of Colombia said that representatives of the right-wing forces from his country and from the United States were attempting to stage a coup. In July, Petro announced his intention to abandon the status of a global partner of NATO. In September, right during the UN General Assembly, the United States canceled Gustavo Petro's visa for going to a pro-Palestinian rally in New York and calling on American soldiers to disobey Trump's orders. The Colombian leader also spoke out very sharply against Washington's actions in the Caribbean, which are formally aimed at combating drug trafficking from Venezuela.
The conflict between Washington and Bogota reached its maximum escalation by the end of October, when Trump threatened Colombia with a violent response if the authorities failed to deal with drug trafficking. Petro ordered to recall the ambassador for consultations. A few days later, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the Colombian leader and his family, as well as Interior Minister Armando Benedetti. Restrictions, in particular, imply that their property in the United States or controlled by citizens of the United States should be blocked, as well as any organizations where those sanctioned have a share of 50% or more.
The Ministry of Finance in Washington
Against this background, Colombia may be interested in more active cooperation with other countries, including Russia, experts say. In particular, Petro has already announced its intention to purchase aircraft from the Russian Federation, said Andrei Pyatakov, a leading researcher at the Institute of Latin America. Moscow, in turn, is open to strengthening ties with the Latin American republic.
— Russia is committed to developing full-scale friendly relations with Colombia, regardless of the international political situation and Bogota's relations with Washington. Joint work continues in various areas: political, economic, cultural, educational, humanitarian. Interdepartmental agreements are being worked out, twinning ties are being built between the regions of our countries, and the channel of parliamentary diplomacy is strengthening. Russia is also open to possible new initiatives from partners from Colombia," the Russian Embassy in Bogota told Izvestia.
The diplomats especially note the prospect of strengthening cooperation through the United Nations.
— An important point: starting from January 1, 2026, Bogota will join the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member for a two-year term. We intend to establish constructive cooperation within the framework of this UN body on a wide range of issues on the regional and global agendas," the Russian diplomats added.
U.S. relations with Latin American countries
Almost a year after the new American administration came to power, Argentina, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Paraguay, El Salvador and Ecuador remained among the unconditional allies of the United States in Latin America, according to CNN. The recent addition of Bolivia to the list of friendly countries to the United States was unexpected. Following the results of the last presidential elections in the country, the era of leftist rule ended, which made it ideologically closer to the United States.
The publication counts Brazil, Honduras, Mexico, Chile and Uruguay among the rivals of the United States. As for, for example, Peru, it is still unclear what political position the country will take in the future — now the main task for Lima is to prevent a political crisis after the change of power.
Relations with Brazil in the United States remain tense. Trump is unhappy with the desire of the President of the republic, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, to promote an alternative currency to the dollar within the framework of the BRICS. He, in turn, opposes Washington's interference in internal affairs, in particular in the trial of ex-President Jair Bolsonaro. A certain warming came after the meeting between Trump and Lula in Kuala Lumpur, where the parties discussed the conclusion of a trade agreement.
Relations between the United States and Honduras are also not entirely smooth. In response to Trump's promises to deport tens of thousands of illegal migrants to the country, President Ciomara Castro threatened to close American military bases. In the case of Mexico, the issue of migration became the subject of conflict, as well as, according to the American side, the insufficient contribution of Mexico City to the fight against drug trafficking.
As for Chile and Uruguay, there is no direct conflict of interests, but they are not ideologically close to the United States. In particular, the President of Uruguay, Jamando Orsi, speaking at the UN General Assembly, called for an end to the fighting in Gaza, and also expressed concern about the operation in the Caribbean Sea. Chilean President Gabriel Boric has also criticized Trump's policies, but the conflict has never escalated to a more serious level. At the same time, Boric is completing his presidential term. The first round of presidential elections was held in the country on November 16, and the second one will be held in December.
The difficulty of Latin American countries' relations with the United States may have a positive impact on their contacts with other major trade and political partners, although this rapprochement is unlikely to be widespread, experts say. Due to their territorial position, these countries are in any case strongly tied to the American economy.
In this regard, China stands to gain the most. Beijing has been promoting the Latin American market for a long time and has become an important trading partner for many countries. Last year, the trade turnover between China and the countries of the region exceeded $500 billion for the first time. The Changkai megaport in Peru is often referred to as a demonstration of Chinese penetration into the Latin American market. It was built as part of the Belt and Road Initiative. This route from China to Peru is 10 days faster than the route across the Atlantic.
India is also strengthening its presence in the region, albeit at a slower pace than China. The trade turnover with the countries of the region is about $50 billion. The main investments are in the energy, IT and pharmaceutical sectors.
Moscow is not yet ready to invest resources such as India or China in the countries of the region, says Viktor Kheifets, professor at the Faculty of International Relations at St. Petersburg State University.
— Not everyone needs Russian products, and besides, Russian foreign policy structures lack a coordinated strategy for cooperation with Latin America. Besides, we have little interest in what the countries of the region need from us," the expert explained.
The trade turnover of the Russian Federation with the countries of the region has remained approximately at the same level in recent years. In 2023, it amounted to about $20 billion. In January – August 2025, Russian exports to the countries of North and South America amounted to $8.5 billion, imports — $10.4 billion.
Logistical difficulties play a significant role, as well as the unresolved conflict in Ukraine — some Latin American countries are not ready to move closer to the Russian Federation for fear of secondary sanctions.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
