Name? Iván Duque
Westphalian identity? Colombian
Age? 45
Why is he in the news? Last week Colombian president Ivan Duque the US. With 45 minutes to make his case, Duque emphasised the long-time allyship between Colombia and the US. In this Colombia supports the US sanctions regime against Russia and the US should carefully pick their next steps in Latin America.
Why do we care? US president Joe Biden just named Colombia a ‘major non-NATO ally’ in efforts to counter Putin’s influence in Latin America. This is not only a fancy title President Iván Duque can add to his CV but this status actually brings certain trade benefits and boosts opportunities for security cooperation. As Russia loses allies in Latam, Biden may look to his own backyard again in efforts to find allies of the West.
Why should you care? We can only repeat ourselves, these sanctions of historical proportions will impact almost every country in the world. Especially those who have been dependent on Russia in the past (Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba) will suffer from the sanctions on Russia’s banking system. What we cannot forget is that the leader’s of states don’t suffer from sanctions, it is the people living in them. You should care 10/10.
Who else cares? President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro. Last week we wrote about his renewed importance to the US as an alternative to Russian oil. However, a closer US-Colombian cooperation will give Duque the chance to weigh in. Aside from political differences between Maduro and Duque (as well as the millions of Venezuelan refugees), Duque also has a particular interest in increasing Colombian oil exports to the US.
Any further comments? Meanwhile, Brazil’s Bolsonaro and Argentina’s Fernandez were cosying up to Putin before the invasion and since have reconsidered a little. However, with Russia being a major global producer of fertilisers, the war in Ukraine and the economic restrictions will indirectly affect the two agricultural powers.
