The United States and Colombia will work together to bring new investment to rural areas of the South American country, officials said on Monday, as Colombia’s president reiterated support for the U.S. candidate to lead the Inter-American Development Bank.
The investment initiative will harness up to $5 billion in private funds for rural areas over three years, U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien told local newspaper El Tiempo in an interview.
“This initiative will focus on key elements of the 21st-century growth in Colombia, the rule of law, security, infrastructure, rural development and democracy,” O’Brien said in a joint video statement with Ivan Duque.
Colombia will be part of a pilot program meant to incentivize near-shoring of U.S. businesses, part of a larger U.S. strategy announced on Monday.
Mauricio Claver-Carone, special adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump for the Western Hemisphere, was also on the visit.