WASHINGTON — The United States and a coalition of Latin American nations issued a joint statement Friday expressing what they called “deep concern” over efforts to undermine confidence in Colombia’s recent presidential election.
“We observe with deep concern the recent statements and actions that, without duly substantiated grounds, cast doubt on the integrity of the electoral process in the Republic of Colombia,” the statement, released through the State Department, read. The statement did not point to any specific comments or actions.
The declaration was signed by the U.S., Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The statement came following a narrow presidential election victory last month by Colombian right-wing candidate Abelardo De La Espriella, who had received a public endorsement from President Donald Trump.
The coalition behind Friday’s statement is known as the “Shield of the Americas,” a military alliance established by Trump that brings together right-wing leaders committed to combating drug trafficking.
Trump had previously engaged in a public dispute with outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a former rebel who became the country’s first leftist leader. Colombian leftist senator Ivan Cepeda conceded the presidential race late last month.
Following his concession, Cepeda raised several allegations — claiming that Trump had improperly interfered in the election, that voters had been manipulated through artificial intelligence-generated content, and that De La Espriella had engaged in vote-buying. He offered no evidence to support any of those claims.
De La Espriella, who ran on a platform of cracking down on crime and reviving the economy, also leveled a vote-buying accusation against Cepeda — likewise without providing supporting evidence.
The joint statement emphasized that transferring power between governments is not a political choice but a constitutional obligation. “The transition between governments does not constitute a political concession, but rather a constitutional and institutional duty designed to guarantee the continuity of the State, democratic stability, and the effective fulfillment of the popular will,” it stated.
The statement carries notable context given Trump’s own history of challenging election outcomes. Trump falsely claimed he had won the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to former President Joe Biden. His supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in a failed attempt to block Congress from certifying those results. Trump later won the 2024 election and returned to the White House.
More broadly, Trump has been working to expand American influence across Latin America. He ordered a raid targeting ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro that resulted in fatalities, and U.S. military forces have conducted multiple strikes on vessels in the Caribbean, operations that have left dozens dead.
Human rights advocates have condemned these actions as unlawful and tantamount to extrajudicial killings. The Trump administration frames them as necessary measures to combat drug trafficking and curb illegal immigration.
