US promises $1bn in security aid to Colombia as new rightwing president pledges drugs crackdown

The Guardian reports that the Trump administration plans to provide one billion dollars in security assistance to Colombia's new rightwing president, Abelardo De La Espriella. A Trump ally, De La Espriella was sworn in and used his inaugural speech to pledge a vigorous fight against drug trafficking and announce austerity measures aimed at restoring confidence in the economy. He won June's runoff election on promises to crack down on armed groups and revive the oil and gas sector, also pledging to shrink the state by as much as forty percent.

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