Andean Region in September 2026: the most important developments in politics
In the Andean region in September 2026, politics centred on the visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Rubio began the tour in Colombia on September 9, meeting the country's new president, De la Espriella, to relaunch bilateral ties around a security and investment agenda and offering support to the Trump-friendly leader. Colombia's State Council said the government has not sought legal opinions on potential joint military operations with the United States. Colombia lifted a suspension on legal gun permits, and gun-carrying restrictions that had been in place for a decade were eased. After Rubio's visit, Keiko Fujimori was reported to be set to join an anti-drug coalition and proposed Álvaro Vargas Llosa as Peru's ambassador to the US.
Other items in Colombia included a US executive statement on how Washington can support the country's recovery after the earthquake, and a statement that Colombia must stop bombings if minors are recruited. The president posed with the bodies of people described as terrorists, drawing expressions of disgust, and a senator sought to place associates in top posts at Ecopetrol.
Bolivia extended its state of emergency for 90 days on September 17. In Ecuador, Ambassador Davoli received an honorary award from the National Assembly. Gustavo Petro warned of the risk of US intervention in Mexico.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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