The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Colombian Foreign Minister Claudia Blum. The Secretary expressed his appreciation for the longstanding U.S.-Colombia partnership, and expressed his condolences on the recent death of Minister of Defense Carlos Holmes Trujillo García, a great statesman and close friend of the United States. Secretary Blinken conveyed that the Biden administration looks forward to continuing our cooperation to promote a democratic hemisphere, and to reinvigorate our economies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Secretary expressed the United States’ strong support for peace in Colombia. He pledged to partner closely with the Colombian government as it extends the benefits of peace throughout the country, ensure the protection of human rights, and defeat the narcotraffickers and transnational criminal groups that threaten regional security. The Secretary and Foreign Minister Blum also discussed their shared commitment to the restoration of democracy and economic stability in Venezuela, and the importance of efforts to meet the humanitarian needs of Venezuelan migrants in Colombia and throughout the region.