Blinken hails Colombia partnership but seeks shift from security focus

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BOGOTA: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday (Oct 20) praised Colombia\u0027s right-wing leader as an ally on issues such as migration, even as he called for a demilitarisation of US alliances across Latin America. President Ivan Duque, who was closely aligned with former US leader Donald Trum

BOGOTA: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday praised Colombia's right-wing leader as an ally on issues such as migration, even as he called for a demilitarisation of US alliances across Latin America.

Blinken said he spoke to Duque about accountability, saying "ending impunity as we know it is also one of the best ways to prevent rights abuses going forward". Duque said that investigations were underway and there would be"severe punishment" over rights abuses - but also said that his own efforts have succeeded in improving security in a country previously notorious for drug-related crime.

In a speech in Quito earlier on Wednesday, Blinken said that the US record on security assistance in Latin America has been"mixed". He acknowledged the long shadow of US support for dictators, saying "there were times when we supported governments in the Americas that did not reflect the choice or the will of their people and did not respect their human rights".After a day with Duque at the Casa de Narino presidential residence, Blinken joined talks with ministers from across the Americas on migration - an issue that has deeply affected Colombia.

Blinken, a longtime advocate for refugees, hailed Duque's decree earlier this year to let Venezuelans stay for 10 years.

 

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