US, Colombia sign agreements on nuclear cooperation, critical minerals

The US and Colombia signed two strategic memorandums of understanding Tuesday during a ceremony in the Colombian coastal city of Barranquilla attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella and Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar.

The first memorandum establishes a framework between the US and Colombian governments to secure supply chains in the mining and processing of critical minerals and rare earths, while the second concerns strategic civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries.

Speaking after the signing, Rubio praised De La Espriella as a leader of "energy, strength, vision and courage," noting that the new administration inherited severe challenges, including the aftermath of a recent earthquake and an "institutional" crisis from prior governance that had frayed bilateral relations.

"The last four years have been an aberration between our governments, but that is changing as well," he said.

"We believe we have a lot we can do together in the field of energy, in the field of trade, in the field of commerce that allows both countries to benefit."

The signing followed a bilateral meeting that began shortly after Rubio’s arrival in Barranquilla, focusing heavily on private-sector investment in energy, logistics and transportation infrastructure.

De La Espriella highlighted the symbolic and practical choice of holding the talks outside the capital, underscoring his administration's decentralist approach.

“Today, Barranquilla served as the backdrop for a strategic conversation about the present and future of Colombia and our relationship with the United States," he said. "Welcoming Secretary of State Marco Rubio carries special meaning. Barranquilla has historically been Colombia's golden window to the world. It reflects an absolute conviction of my government that Colombia is not governed from Bogota, but from its regions."

The Colombian leader also expressed gratitude for US humanitarian assistance following the destructive earthquake that recently struck the country, noting that disaster relief paved the way for deeper strategic alignment.

The resulting "Barranquilla Accords" establish a three-pillar bilateral agenda focused on rebuilding infrastructure, accelerating post-disaster economic recovery, and enhancing security collaboration across the Americas.

"From this meeting has emerged a roadmap around three major themes of substantial importance for our country and the hemisphere: rebuilding the nation, recovering the economy, and safeguarding the hemisphere," De La Espriella said.

"Another important point is shared prosperity. I have proposed to Mr. Secretary that we consolidate a bilateral prosperity dialogue featuring concrete projects, responsibility, financing and schedules, the work on which our teams will continue in Washington. Together with the Secretary of Energy, we identified opportunities in infrastructure, technology, industry, reconstruction and critical minerals, such as the agreement just signed," he added.

Asked whether Colombia's request for the US to lift tariffs had come up in his talks, Rubio said the US Supreme Court's ruling striking down the tariff mechanism that President Donald Trump had originally used meant the administration had to reinstitute it through the Section 301 process, which requires a bilateral agreement.

"The president of the United States has a desire to reach an agreement with Colombia as soon as possible. Ambassador (Jamieson) Greer has been working with Colombian authorities on that negotiation. I think it's going very well, and I hope to have good news soon in regards to that once such an agreement can be reached," Rubio told reporters.

"I think there's been two rounds of that discussion, and good progress is being made, but obviously no announcement today," he added.