(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos). Supporters of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro cheer in his favor as they march to the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Aug. 6, 2018. Maduro dodged an apparent assassination attempt over the ...

(Miraflores Presidential Palace via AP). In this photo provided by the Miraflores Presidential Palace, President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a event marking the 81st anniversary of the National Guard, in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, August 4, 2019. V...

(Xinhua via AP). In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, an uniformed official bleeds from the head following an incident during a speech by Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018. Drones armed ...

(Xinhua via AP). In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, security personnel surround Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, at left, during an incident as he was giving a speech in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018. Drones armed w...

(AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias, File). FILE - In this Dec.13, 2017 file photo, president of Venezuelan parliament Julio Borges leaves after receiving the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, an award given to Venezuela's opposition, in Strasbourg, ea...

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela's Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the arrest of a prominent opposition leader in connection with an alleged assassination attempt against President Nicolas Maduro.

In addition to seeking the arrest of Julio Borges, the court also called for the prosecution of another opposition lawmaker, Juan Requesens, who police detained a day earlier.

The moves threaten to deepen the country's political crisis as opposition lawmakers accuse the government's ruling part of using the alleged attack to clamp down on the opposition.

Video circulating Tuesday on social media showed Venezuela's political police arresting Requesens, a 29-year-old deputy in the opposition-controlled National Assembly. Supporters say he was kidnapped from his apartment.

On Wednesday, the supreme court ordered the arrest of Borges, accusing him of "flagrant crimes," including public incitement, treason to the fatherland and the attempted homicide against Maduro.

During a national television broadcast Tuesday, Maduro accused Requesens and Borges of complicity in weekend drone explosions that he contends were an attempt on his life. Borges has been living in exile in Colombia.

The head of Venezuela's pro-government constitutional assembly said he would have the body take up a proposal to strip both lawmakers of their immunity protections, drawing cries from anti-government lawmakers that such a move would be unconstitutional.

Maduro said statements from some of the six suspects arrested earlier have implicated the two lawmakers, as well as key financiers.

"Several of the declarations indicated Julio Borges. The investigations point to him," Maduro said during Tuesday's broadcast, though he provided no details of Borges' alleged role.

Borges, who lives in exile in the Colombian capital, Bogota, rejected the accusations on Twitter, saying Maduro was trying to cast blame for Venezuela's economic crisis that has included cash shortages, hyperinflation and rampant unemployment. "You're not fooling anybody," Borges said, calling the drone attack a "farce" staged to justify the persecution of opponents.

Two drones armed with explosives detonated near Maduro as he spoke during a military celebration Saturday evening. Images on live television showed Maduro and his wife looking up at the sky as the first drone exploded, sending hundreds of soldiers scrambling for safety.

The six suspects arrested earlier face charges of treason, attempted murder and terrorism. Investigators have linked a total of 19 people to the attack, Chief Prosecutor Tarek William Saab said Wednesday.

Critics of Maduro's socialist government said immediately after the drone explosions that they feared the unpopular leader would use the incident as an excuse to round up opponents as he seeks to dampen spreading discontent over Venezuela's devastating economic collapse.

As elected lawmakers, Borges and Requesens enjoy immunity from prosecution under Venezuelan law. But Diosdado Cabello, the powerful leader of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela and president of the National Constitutional Assembly, said in a tweet that he planned to introduce legislation stripping them and any other lawmakers accused in the alleged attack of this protection.

The move brought an immediate outcry from the opposition.

"Our constitution is clear," said opposition lawmaker Julio Cesar Reyes, the National Assembly's vice president, saying only the Supreme Court of Justice has the authority to order a deputy's arrest, with congressional approval.

The events come as Venezuela's economy continues to hemorrhage and thousands flee to neighboring nations seeking food and medical care. Maduro has grown increasingly isolated, with the United States and other foreign powers slapping economic sanctions on a growing list of high-ranking Venezuelan officials and criticizing his government of being an autocratic regime.

The International Monetary Fund projects inflation could top 1 million percent by year's end.

During Maduro's two-hour speech, videos were displayed showing alleged suspects and images of the drones exploding. One video included a purported confession by a handcuffed suspect, whose face was blurred out.

The president also displayed wanted posters with names and pictures of other suspects who he said are living in the United States and Colombia.

Maduro said he would provide evidence to authorities in both countries and ask for their cooperation in handing over suspects who helped orchestrate and finance the attack.

"I want to explain to the government of the United States and the government of Colombia in detail all the evidence that leads us to accomplices ... living in the state of Florida," Maduro said. "I trust in the good faith of Donald Trump."

State television on Wednesday showed Venezuela's foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza, and Saab, the attorney general, meeting with James Story, the top U.S. diplomat in Caracas.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request Wednesday for comment on whether Venezuela had made any extradition request.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has granted 440,000 refugees from crisis-stricken Venezuela two years of help. 

 

 Santos said Thursday that the Venezuelans can study, work and get medical care. He granted them temporary residency permits. 

 

 Venezuela is in the grips of a five-year crisis under the rule of socialist President Nicolas Maduro , marked by a shortage of food and medicine that's driving masses across borders. 

 

 Santos condemns Maduro for the crisis, saying it burdens neighboring countries like Colombia. 

 

 Santos has urged Maduro to allow international humanitarian relief, easing suffering in Venezuela and slowing the flow of migrants. 

 

 Maduro has refused international help, either denying a crisis exists or saying it would allow in imperialist invaders. 

 

 Santos says that more than 1 million Venezuelans have fled into Colombia. 

 

 Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Venezuela's Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the arrest of a prominent opposition leader in connection with an alleged assassination attempt against President Nicolas Maduro.

In addition to seeking the arrest of Julio Borges, the court also called for the prosecution of another opposition lawmaker, Juan Requesens, who police detained a day earlier.

The moves threaten to deepen the country's political crisis as opposition lawmakers accuse the government's ruling part of using the alleged attack to clamp down on the opposition.

Video circulating Tuesday on social media showed Venezuela's political police arresting Requesens, a 29-year-old deputy in the opposition-controlled National Assembly. Supporters say he was kidnapped from his apartment.

On Wednesday, the supreme court ordered the arrest of Borges, accusing him of "flagrant crimes," including public incitement, treason to the fatherland and the attempted homicide against Maduro.

During a national television broadcast Tuesday, Maduro accused Requesens and Borges of complicity in weekend drone explosions that he contends were an attempt on his life. Borges has been living in exile in Colombia.

The head of Venezuela's pro-government constitutional assembly said he would have the body take up a proposal to strip both lawmakers of their immunity protections, drawing cries from anti-government lawmakers that such a move would be unconstitutional.

Maduro said statements from some of the six suspects arrested earlier have implicated the two lawmakers, as well as key financiers.

"Several of the declarations indicated Julio Borges. The investigations point to him," Maduro said during Tuesday's broadcast, though he provided no details of Borges' alleged role.

Borges, who lives in exile in the Colombian capital, Bogota, rejected the accusations on Twitter, saying Maduro was trying to cast blame for Venezuela's economic crisis that has included cash shortages, hyperinflation and rampant unemployment. "You're not fooling anybody," Borges said, calling the drone attack a "farce" staged to justify the persecution of opponents.

Two drones armed with explosives detonated near Maduro as he spoke during a military celebration Saturday evening. Images on live television showed Maduro and his wife looking up at the sky as the first drone exploded, sending hundreds of soldiers scrambling for safety.

The six suspects arrested earlier face charges of treason, attempted murder and terrorism. Investigators have linked a total of 19 people to the attack, Chief Prosecutor Tarek William Saab said Wednesday.

Critics of Maduro's socialist government said immediately after the drone explosions that they feared the unpopular leader would use the incident as an excuse to round up opponents as he seeks to dampen spreading discontent over Venezuela's devastating economic collapse.

As elected lawmakers, Borges and Requesens enjoy immunity from prosecution under Venezuelan law. But Diosdado Cabello, the powerful leader of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela and president of the National Constitutional Assembly, said in a tweet that he planned to introduce legislation stripping them and any other lawmakers accused in the alleged attack of this protection.

The move brought an immediate outcry from the opposition.

"Our constitution is clear," said opposition lawmaker Julio Cesar Reyes, the National Assembly's vice president, saying only the Supreme Court of Justice has the authority to order a deputy's arrest, with congressional approval.

The events come as Venezuela's economy continues to hemorrhage and thousands flee to neighboring nations seeking food and medical care. Maduro has grown increasingly isolated, with the United States and other foreign powers slapping economic sanctions on a growing list of high-ranking Venezuelan officials and criticizing his government of being an autocratic regime.

The International Monetary Fund projects inflation could top 1 million percent by year's end.

During Maduro's two-hour speech, videos were displayed showing alleged suspects and images of the drones exploding. One video included a purported confession by a handcuffed suspect, whose face was blurred out.

The president also displayed wanted posters with names and pictures of other suspects who he said are living in the United States and Colombia.

Maduro said he would provide evidence to authorities in both countries and ask for their cooperation in handing over suspects who helped orchestrate and finance the attack.

"I want to explain to the government of the United States and the government of Colombia in detail all the evidence that leads us to accomplices ... living in the state of Florida," Maduro said. "I trust in the good faith of Donald Trump."

State television on Wednesday showed Venezuela's foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza, and Saab, the attorney general, meeting with James Story, the top U.S. diplomat in Caracas.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request Wednesday for comment on whether Venezuela had made any extradition request.</s>Petro, que en campaña defendió posturas claramente de izquierdas, convocó para hoy concentraciones en varias ciudades de Colombia bajo el lema "Marcha por la vida", con el objetivo de que el nuevo Gobierno siga apostando por la paz y defienda a los líderes sociales de los ataques en su contra, que han aumentado en los últimos meses.

La principal incertidumbre del nuevo Gobierno radica en el futuro del acuerdo de paz que el presidente saliente, Juan Manuel Santos, firmó en 2016 con las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), que permitió el desarme de los ex guerrilleros y la creación de un partido político que ahora tiene representación en el Congreso.

Duque es el abanderado del expresidente Álvaro Uribe, máximo líder del partido de derecha radical Centro Democrático y gobernante entre 2002 y 2010, que ha sido en principal opositor del acuerdo de paz. La campaña presidencial de su partido se basó principalmente en propuestas para modificarlo.

Algunos dirigentes del Centro Democrático proponían desconocerlo de plano, pero Duque moderó la postura y ahora afirma que promoverá cambios, especialmente en la Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz, un tribunal que juzgará a quienes participaron en el conflicto, entre ellos ex guerrilleros y miembros de la fuerza pública.

Santos, que tras la firma del acuerdo recibió el Premio Nobel de la Paz, asegura que el nuevo Gobierno tiene poco margen de maniobra porque el pacto tiene un "blindaje constitucional", aunque Duque sostiene que sí es posible hacer reformas.

La Administración Duque también tendrá que decidir sobre el futuro del proceso de paz con el Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN), que tras la desmovilización de las FARC es la única guerrilla activa en el país.

El Gobierno y el ELN concluyeron el 30 de julio el sexto ciclo de negociaciones en La Habana sin llegar a un acuerdo para definir un segundo alto el fuego.

El Gobierno saliente culminó así su tarea y el ELN se declaró a la expectativa de las decisiones de Duque, quien ha dicho que le pondrá a ese grupo la condición de que concentre a sus miembros en sitios determinados para seguir dialogando.

El país espera que el nuevo presidente muestre si es capaz de gobernar con autonomía o si seguirá las indicaciones de Uribe, su jefe político y quien impulsó su carrera. Hasta el año pasado, el nuevo presidente era un senador poco conocido y sus más mordaces críticos consideran que es "un títere" del ex mandatario.

Conflictos en la frontera

El pasado sábado el dictador de Venezuela Nicolás Maduro señaló al presidente saliente Juan Manuel Santos como el responsable del supuesto atentado que hubo en su contra durante un acto público que se televisaba por radio y televisión. Además Duque ya ha asegurado que no enviará embajador a Venezuela mientras esté en el poder Nicolás Maduro, cuyo Gobierno considera "ilegítimo", aunque dijo que sí mantendrá "las relaciones consulares".

"No podemos aceptar una representación con un Gobierno que consideramos ilegítimo, obviamente lo que se mantendrán serán las relaciones consulares, que hacen parte de los protocolos normales del derecho internacional para manejar los temas migratorios y seguiremos operando de esa manera", dijo Duque a periodistas en Bogotá.

A todas luces se puede vislumbrar que las relaciones entre Venezuela y Colombia se mantendrán en tensión y distanciadas.</s>CARACAS, Venezuela — The Latest on the apparent drone attack on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (all times local):

Venezuela's supreme court is ordering the arrest of prominent opposition leader Julio Borges in connection with an alleged assassination attempt against President Nicolas Maduro.

The court on Wednesday also called for the prosecution of a second congressman, Juan Requesense, who already had been detained.

The actions follow what the government says is a thwarted assassination attempt against President Nicolas Maduro using drones loaded with explosives. Maduro was speaking at an outdoor military ceremony when they detonated nearby, but was unharmed.

Borges is the former president of congress. He lives in exile in Colombia.

Police detained Requesense at his apartment on Tuesday.

Both deny any role in the drone attacks.</s>CARACAS, Venezuela — The Latest on the apparent drone attack on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (all times local):

Venezuela’s supreme court is ordering the arrest of prominent opposition leader Julio Borges in connection with an alleged assassination attempt against President Nicolas Maduro.

The court on Wednesday also called for the prosecution of a second congressman, Juan Requesense, who already had been detained.

The actions follow what the government says is a thwarted assassination attempt against President Nicolas Maduro using drones loaded with explosives. Maduro was speaking at an outdoor military ceremony when they detonated nearby, but was unharmed.

Borges is the former president of congress. He lives in exile in Colombia.

Police detained Requesense at his apartment on Tuesday.

Both deny any role in the drone attacks.</s>(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos). Supporters of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro cheer in his favor as they march to the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Aug. 6, 2018. Maduro dodged an apparent assassination attempt over the ...

(Miraflores Presidential Palace via AP). In this photo provided by the Miraflores Presidential Palace, President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a event marking the 81st anniversary of the National Guard, in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, August 4, 2019. V...

(Xinhua via AP). In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, an uniformed official bleeds from the head following an incident during a speech by Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018. Drones armed ...

(Xinhua via AP). In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, security personnel surround Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, at left, during an incident as he was giving a speech in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2018. Drones armed w...

(AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias, File). FILE - In this Dec.13, 2017 file photo, president of Venezuelan parliament Julio Borges leaves after receiving the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, an award given to Venezuela's opposition, in Strasbourg, ea...

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela's Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the arrest of a prominent opposition leader in connection with an alleged assassination attempt against President Nicolas Maduro.

In addition to seeking the arrest of Julio Borges, the court also called for the prosecution of another opposition lawmaker, Juan Requesens, who police detained a day earlier.

The moves threaten to deepen the country's political crisis as opposition lawmakers accuse the government's ruling part of using the alleged attack to clamp down on the opposition.

Video circulating Tuesday on social media showed Venezuela's political police arresting Requesens, a 29-year-old deputy in the opposition-controlled National Assembly. Supporters say he was kidnapped from his apartment.

On Wednesday, the supreme court ordered the arrest of Borges, accusing him of "flagrant crimes," including public incitement, treason to the fatherland and the attempted homicide against Maduro.

During a national television broadcast Tuesday, Maduro accused Requesens and Borges of complicity in weekend drone explosions that he contends were an attempt on his life. Borges has been living in exile in Colombia.

The head of Venezuela's pro-government constitutional assembly said he would have the body take up a proposal to strip both lawmakers of their immunity protections, drawing cries from anti-government lawmakers that such a move would be unconstitutional.

Maduro said statements from some of the six suspects arrested earlier have implicated the two lawmakers, as well as key financiers.

"Several of the declarations indicated Julio Borges. The investigations point to him," Maduro said during Tuesday's broadcast, though he provided no details of Borges' alleged role.

Borges, who lives in exile in the Colombian capital, Bogota, rejected the accusations on Twitter, saying Maduro was trying to cast blame for Venezuela's economic crisis that has included cash shortages, hyperinflation and rampant unemployment. "You're not fooling anybody," Borges said, calling the drone attack a "farce" staged to justify the persecution of opponents.

Two drones armed with explosives detonated near Maduro as he spoke during a military celebration Saturday evening. Images on live television showed Maduro and his wife looking up at the sky as the first drone exploded, sending hundreds of soldiers scrambling for safety.

The six suspects arrested earlier face charges of treason, attempted murder and terrorism. Investigators have linked a total of 19 people to the attack, Chief Prosecutor Tarek William Saab said Wednesday.

Critics of Maduro's socialist government said immediately after the drone explosions that they feared the unpopular leader would use the incident as an excuse to round up opponents as he seeks to dampen spreading discontent over Venezuela's devastating economic collapse.

As elected lawmakers, Borges and Requesens enjoy immunity from prosecution under Venezuelan law. But Diosdado Cabello, the powerful leader of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela and president of the National Constitutional Assembly, said in a tweet that he planned to introduce legislation stripping them and any other lawmakers accused in the alleged attack of this protection.

The move brought an immediate outcry from the opposition.

"Our constitution is clear," said opposition lawmaker Julio Cesar Reyes, the National Assembly's vice president, saying only the Supreme Court of Justice has the authority to order a deputy's arrest, with congressional approval.

The events come as Venezuela's economy continues to hemorrhage and thousands flee to neighboring nations seeking food and medical care. Maduro has grown increasingly isolated, with the United States and other foreign powers slapping economic sanctions on a growing list of high-ranking Venezuelan officials and criticizing his government of being an autocratic regime.

The International Monetary Fund projects inflation could top 1 million percent by year's end.

During Maduro's two-hour speech, videos were displayed showing alleged suspects and images of the drones exploding. One video included a purported confession by a handcuffed suspect, whose face was blurred out.

The president also displayed wanted posters with names and pictures of other suspects who he said are living in the United States and Colombia.

Maduro said he would provide evidence to authorities in both countries and ask for their cooperation in handing over suspects who helped orchestrate and finance the attack.

"I want to explain to the government of the United States and the government of Colombia in detail all the evidence that leads us to accomplices ... living in the state of Florida," Maduro said. "I trust in the good faith of Donald Trump."

State television on Wednesday showed Venezuela's foreign minister, Jorge Arreaza, and Saab, the attorney general, meeting with James Story, the top U.S. diplomat in Caracas.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request Wednesday for comment on whether Venezuela had made any extradition request.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>The United States on Wednesday announced nearly $9 million in aid to help those fleeing the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, days after Venezuela's president said the United States was home to financiers of what he has called an attempt on his life.

The United States' ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, made the announcement during a visit to Colombia's border with Venezuela, which Venezuelans have for months crossed in search of food, work and health care.

The funding will help Colombia address the influx of Venezuelans pouring across the border, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development. The U.S. has pledged more than $46 million in humanitarian aid in response to the crisis, USAID said.

Colombia said last month that over 870,000 Venezuelans were living in Colombia, and many of the several hundred thousand more who have Colombian origins are believed to be moving there, according to the Associated Press.

Haley on Wednesday visited Cúcuta, Colombia, a major crossing point for fleeing Venezuelans. On Tuesday, she attended the inauguration of Colombian President Ivan Duque.

The announcement came days after what Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has called an attempted assassination while he was speaking in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. Maduro has said that opposition leaders were connected to Saturday's alleged attack, which involved exploding drones, and he has said some suspects reside in the Untied States and Colombia.

"I want to explain to the government of the United States and the government of Colombia in detail all the evidence that leads us to accomplices and direct responsible living in the state of Florida," Maduro said, according to the Associated Press. "I trust in the good faith of Donald Trump."

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton on Sunday denied that the U.S. was involved in the incident.</s>CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela’s Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the arrest of opposition leader Julio Borges, the former president of Congress, for allegedly plotting to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro with exploding drones at a rally over the weekend.

Maduro said in a broadcast on Tuesday night that Borges was living in neighboring Colombia.</s>BOGOTA, Colombia – Promising the drug crackdown demanded by President Donald Trump, a young, conservative and unusually pro-Trump leader took power in Colombia on Tuesday, as Washington celebrated an ally against leftists including the anti-American president of next-door Venezuela.

Standing in rain and a stiff wind before a wall of roses and other flowers in historic Bolivar Plaza, newly elected President Iván Duque listed the expansion of coca production, corruption and the terror of drug cartels among the problems he will address. He also pointed to a rise in killings of social-movement leaders as one of the threats to the country’s fragile peace pact that ended five decades of war.

“The time has come for us all to unite to confront illegalities,” including drug production and trafficking, Duque said in an inaugural address focused on issues of justice and security.

Duque, 42, has advocated a more aggressive approach to the drug war, positioning him as a leading ally of the Trump administration.

“We will be effective in the eradication and substitution of illegal crops, accompanied by productive opportunities” for farmers and a crackdown on drug traffickers, Duque promised.

He pledged a law enforcement “principle that whoever does it, pays for it,” and said he will immediately present a bill to strengthen laws that target drug trafficking and kidnapping.

“Building peace, Colombians, means to defeat the drug cartels,” he said.

Duque thanked the United States for its support but did not mention President Trump by name.

Security for the open-air inauguration here included 10,000 police officers in the city and thousands more on alert, as well as a radar-enforced ban on drones.

Estimates showed Colombian coca production at a record high in 2017, and the top White House drug official pronounced it “unacceptable” in June. Although a new United Nations report on coca growth has yet to be released, analysts are expecting it to show a historic high in cultivation.

Washington is now turning to Duque to do something about it.

“We’re very excited about President Duque and his plans for Colombia, the way that we’re going to be partnering with him,” said Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Trump’s representative at Duque’s inauguration.

“I think he’s got a very aggressive vision of where he sees the situation going,” Haley said, including making what she called needed improvements to the historic 2016 peace agreement with rebels.

Haley said she issued no warnings or ultimatums about coca production in a private meeting with Duque on Tuesday, although Trump’s expectations and his threat last year to decertify Colombia as a U.S. partner against drugs hang over the new relationship.

“I did tell him that this is an issue that President Trump feels very strongly about and wants to see some results on, but he knew that before I even had to say it,” Haley told reporters. “They don’t need to be lectured to. They don’t need to be told what to do. I did tell him our concerns, but our concerns are their concerns.”

Trump has said that drugs grown in Colombia and other Latin American nations primarily for the U.S. market are a deadly assault on Americans. His administration has slowly rebuilt much of the old “war on drugs” approach to tougher prosecution that the Obama administration considered ineffectual.

Trump’s sudden threat to Colombia last fall – which stunned and offended the government of Juan Manuel Santos – came amid frustration that the United States had spent about $10 billion to fight drugs and promote security in Colombia only to see coca production increase, a U.S. official said.

Among the reasons for the coca surge, observers say, is a crop-substitution program tied to Colombia’s peace deal that offered incentives to coca farmers to switch to legal crops. Those incentives were so lucrative that some rural dwellers planted more coca to earn more cash. In addition, Colombia in 2015 banned aerial spraying of coca crops after a determination that the herbicide being used could cause cancer in humans.

Colombia analysts said Duque is likely to rely less on passive solutions like crop substitution while bringing back some form of forced eradication through aerial spraying.

Duque and Haley discussed aerial eradication as an option, she said, and the United States is expected to support it. Trump had urged Santos to resume the practice last year.

Duque’s ceremony included disparaging references to Santos from the Senate president, a member of Duque’s political party. The party also took out a full-page newspaper ad Tuesday listing what it called the failed legacy of the outgoing president, a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Duque is also set to become a significant ally in Washington’s push for change in Venezuela, Colombia’s rapidly collapsing neighbor. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has charged Colombia with being behind an apparent assassination attempt against him Saturday using drones – a charge Colombia has dismissed as ludicrous.

Haley has been among the Trump administration’s most vocal critics of the Maduro government, especially on human rights grounds. She plans to visit the Colombia-Venezuela border Wednesday to see where thousands of refugees and day laborers cross into Colombia.

Her visit to a refugee camp and health clinic is expected to provide a platform to denounce Maduro for causing a humanitarian crisis as well as an economic one.

“None of us can step by and watch this happen,” Haley said, citing projected 1 million percent inflation in Venezuela and an average weight loss among adults of some 24 pounds.
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• Tensions flare in Brazil as it considers loosening abortion laws “It’s very clear that President Duque plans on leading on this,” including trying to persuade other Latin American leaders to close ranks against Maduro, Haley said.

“That’s what we’re asking of him. These are his brothers and sisters that he can talk to easier than we can,” Haley said.
Newly inaugurated Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez announces that he will not have an ambassador in neighboring Venezuela.