The United Nations Security Council has voted to reduce its mission in Colombia following pressure from the United States, which has criticized the policies of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Twelve council members voted in favor of extending the mission’s mandate to support the Colombian peace process, but with scaled-back provisions for protecting ethnic minorities. The United States and Russia abstained from the vote.
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz praised the decision despite his country’s abstention, stating that Washington still has serious reservations about Colombia’s peace process, including the worsening security situation and the risk of impunity for terrorists and drug traffickers.
The UN mission in Colombia was established following the ceasefire between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government of then-President Juan Manuel Santos, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, to oversee the implementation of their peace agreement.
Earlier on Friday, the UN urged Washington to halt its military operations in the Caribbean, where at least 62 people were reportedly killed in attacks on boats the US claimed were used for drug trafficking.
President Petro wrote on X that the UN’s statement echoed his own stance, saying the attacks in the Caribbean “violate international humanitarian law.”
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