Trump's State nominee raises doubts on Colombia peace pact

Source: Associated Press

Trump's State nominee raises doubts on Colombia peace pact
Joshua Goodman, Associated Press Writer Updated 3:15 pm, Sunday, January 22, 2017



BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — President Donald Trump's secretary of state nominee said he would review Colombia's recent peace agreement to determine how much the U.S. should continue to support a historic deal that had been enthusiastically backed by the Obama administration.

Rex Tillerson's comments came in a written response to questions that members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee sent to him as part of the confirmation process.

As the staunchest U.S. ally in Latin America, Colombia has received billions of dollars in U.S. aid over the past two decades to combat drug trafficking and leftist rebels who fund their insurgency from it. The Obama administration was a key backer of President Juan Manuel Santos' efforts to end the half-century conflict by appointing a special envoy to the talks and promising $450 million more in U.S. aid to make sure the peace agreement signed last year holds.

Tillerson, while recognizing Colombia's importance as an ally and the success of past U.S.-Colombia cooperation, was ambiguous about the road ahead. While the remarks have not yet been made public, Tillerson's answers were first published by Latin America Goes Global, a website tracking U.S. policy toward the region. They were confirmed by a Senate aide who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to share them with journalists.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Trump-State-nominee-raises-doubts-on-Colombia-10875407.php