De la Espriella’s Salazar Endorsement Creates a Democratic Rebuke in Washington

Gregory Meeks warned that Colombia risks losing bipartisan support after the president backed a Republican seeking reelection

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella’s public endorsement of U.S. Representative María Elvira Salazar (pictured above) has been criticized by senior Democrats in Washington.

On October 15, Representative Gregory Meeks, the senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the president’s intervention in a U.S. election could jeopardise the bipartisan support Colombia has received in Congress for decades. The dispute comes ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, in which Salazar is seeking reelection in Florida.

Meeks’s statement described the intervention as unacceptable and urged De la Espriella to stop.

“A foreign leader interfering in American elections is unacceptable. The people of the United States and Colombia share two centuries of friendship and partnership, with democracy as a central pillar.” – Gregory Meeks

The Salazar endorsement was met with criticism by Gregory Meeks

De la Espriella publicly praised Salazar, a Republican congresswoman representing Florida, describing her as “the best friend of Colombia in the United States Congress.”

“She has always been there; she has always defended Colombia. That is why I stand with my friend María Elvira Salazar, because she has always stood with Colombia,” De la Espriella said.

Salazar thanked De la Espriella for his support, saying she shared his commitment to Colombia’s security, prosperity and economic opportunities.

The exchange prompted Meeks to warn that a foreign leader’s intervention in an American election could undermine support for Colombia among lawmakers from the opposing party.

Portrait of Gregory Meeks.

“I value the U.S.-Colombia alliance deeply, and I am concerned by any action that could erode the bipartisan support it has enjoyed for decades,” Meeks said in his October 15 statement. He added that Congress would be watching.

The dispute matters because Colombia’s relationship with Washington involves more than the two countries’ presidents. Congress has a role in funding, oversight and legislation affecting security cooperation, counternarcotics programmes and other areas of bilateral engagement.

Support from both Republicans and Democrats has helped sustain the relationship across changes in political leadership. A breakdown in that consensus could complicate Colombia’s engagement with lawmakers, even if ties with individual Republican officials remain strong.

De la Espriella subsequently reiterated that Colombia’s relationship with the United States should remain above party politics. In a post on X, he referred to 204 years of bilateral relations and said the partnership had received support from both Republicans and Democrats.

Meeks and De la Espriella speak after public exchange

The two held a telephone conversation on October 18 in an effort to ease tensions. According to Caracol Radio, they reaffirmed the importance of preserving bipartisan support for the relationship.

The conversation also addressed Colombia’s recovery and reconstruction following recent earthquakes, as well as opportunities to strengthen cooperation on rights, inclusion and opportunities for Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities.

The call provided a channel for direct engagement following the public dispute. It did not erase Meeks’s criticism, but it underscored the importance both sides placed on maintaining a working relationship.

For the Colombian government, the challenge is to cultivate political allies in Washington without alienating lawmakers whose support may be important to its wider diplomatic and policy priorities.