‘Wave of freedom’ sweeps Latin America as Trump ally battles terror group

Colombia is backing President Donald Trump’s proposal for a new security alliance in the Western Hemisphere, Vice President José Manuel Restrepo said, while making clear that Colombian forces—not U.S. troops—would lead operations against armed groups inside the country.

Restrepo made the remarks in an on-camera interview with News Media, days after attending a Shield of the Americas meeting with Trump and other regional leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. During the gathering, Trump described the initiative as the “largest and most powerful alliance for economic and national security ever to convene in the Western Hemisphere.”

Trump has urged participating countries to treat what he calls “narco terrorists” as a shared threat and to impose sanctions on U.S.-designated terrorist organizations.

Restrepo said he discussed the region’s evolving political and security environment directly with Trump. Colombia’s shift reflects a wider rightward turn in Latin America, following De La Espriella’s June victory. Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia and Panama have also moved to the right, driven in part by public anxiety over crime, weak economies and political instability.

“There is a wave of freedom, a wave of democracy, a wave of free market,” Restrepo told News Media. “There is a new momentum for the region and we have to take advantage of that momentum. That’s what I said to President Trump. If we want to keep and preserve democracy in the region, the Shield of the Americas is going to be the best opportunity to do it.”

Asked about Trump’s response, Restrepo said the U.S. president agreed with his assessment and expressed respect for Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella.

“Colombia is a new partner. In my opinion, it’s one of the most important partners for the United States in the region,” Restrepo said.

That relationship is already facing a significant test as the two countries confront drug trafficking and armed organizations.

In August, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Colombia had approved “joint military operations to destroy terrorists and terror networks.” He said Washington had discussed potential strikes with Bogotá against groups such as the National Liberation Army, or ELN, which the United States designates as a terrorist organization, as well as remnants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

“Designated terrorist organizations, with partnered governments, will be legitimate targets of the United States government,” including in Colombia, Hegseth said when asked whether such operations were expected, according to Reuters.

However, when News Media asked whether U.S.-Colombian strikes were still under consideration, Restrepo appeared to limit the prospect of direct American military action.

“The United States helps us on security, helps us information, helps us on technology, but the public forces of Colombia are those who are going to act in those places,” he said.

Asked whether Colombia would provide the “boots on the ground,” Restrepo answered: “We will have our group, our public forces on the ground.”

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The harder-line approach comes as Colombia faces renewed attacks by armed and drug-trafficking groups. This week, De La Espriella sent troops into Santa Marta after the Autodefensas Conquistadoras de la Sierra Nevada, an illegal armed organization involved in drug trafficking, launched what it called an “armed strike.” The group reacted to the killing of one of its senior leaders with threats, roadblocks and attacks that shut businesses and disrupted public transportation. More than 500 soldiers and 600 police officers were deployed, according to the Colombian presidency.

The administration is also moving to dismantle former President Gustavo Petro’s “total peace” strategy, which centered on negotiations with multiple armed organizations. Before taking office, De La Espriella said he would roll back major parts of the policy and reinstate arrest warrants for members of illegal armed groups.

Restrepo went further, accusing the previous government of promoting “the idea of impunity.” He said the new administration would instead pursue groups it classifies as terrorist organizations.

He said that when the new government took office, “around 30%” of Colombia’s regions lacked effective territorial control — a figure News Media has not independently verified — and said the administration was seeking to regain those areas through stronger security forces, intelligence gathering, drug eradication and extraditions.

Restrepo also argued that the same security debate should extend to the United Nations, where Colombia used its General Assembly address this week to call for reforms and an international definition of terrorism. The UN has had a global counterterrorism strategy since 2006, but member states have for decades failed to agree on a comprehensive international convention defining terrorism.

Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday also announced that the country was suspending all diplomatic relations with Iran.

“This sovereign decision aligns with the pillars guiding the Government’s foreign policy regarding national and hemispheric security, as well as the fight against transnational crime, taking into account alleged links between the Iranian government and international terrorist groups and other narcoterrorist groups that threaten the country’s security,” the Ministry wrote in a statement posted to X.

“I think this is a moment in which the United Nations have to reflect on its own future,” Restrepo told News Media, calling for greater efficiency and effectiveness as well as international agreement on terrorism.

“The only way to attain peace, which is one of the main objectives of the UN, is through confronting terrorism,” he said, arguing that countries need greater intelligence sharing, judicial cooperation and coordination.

With Secretary-General António Guterres set to leave office at the end of the year, Restrepo said the transition could offer the institution an opportunity to change.

“I think that the UN has a new moment and the UN has to take advantage of that opportunity,” he said.

Restrepo added that the institution also needed to address what he described as the inconsistent application of human rights standards.

“Human rights should apply to all, regardless of political considerations,” Restrepo said. “Ideology cannot decide to whom we are going to apply or not human rights.”