As U.S. President Donald Trump and President Gustavo Petro of Colombia meet in Washington, D.C., Daniel Noroña, Americas Advocacy Director with Amnesty International USA, said:
“After weeks of regional tensions, we welcome the meeting to foster dialogue between President Trump and President Petro. Human rights and the protection of civilians must be non‑negotiable priorities, and the people of the Americas must have concrete commitments from their political leaders that are rooted in justice, transparency, and respect for international law.
“Presidents Trump and Petro must confront the urgent threats facing human rights defenders in Colombia, the rights of people seeking refuge across the Americas, as well as the destabilizing impact of the U.S.’s unilateral and unlawful use of force in Venezuela. President Trump’s engagement with Colombia must operate within the boundaries of domestic law and the international legal order, not outside of it.
“We call on both governments to use this moment to deliver real, durable solutions for communities in regions that have endured decades of violence, displacement, and state abandonment. Civilian protection in conflict‑affected areas is not a secondary issue; it is a legal obligation under international law.
“Any efforts to address these decades of abuses must also confront a hard truth: militarization is not a public‑security strategy. Neither Colombia nor the U.S. can arm their way out of the challenges facing them. A militarized approach to public security has repeatedly failed to address the root causes of violence, inequality, and illicit traffic in drugs across the Western Hemisphere. Any bilateral security cooperation between the countries must not increase the risk of human rights violations being committed by security forces and include enforceable human rights safeguards that prevent impunity, ensure accountability at every level of government, and reinforce-the Inter‑American and global human rights systems.
“The recent U.S. act of aggression in violation of the UN Charter is just the latest reminder that principled diplomatic engagement is needed in the hemisphere. That requires President Trump and President Petro to reject coercive diplomacy, and instead honor international law, and place the rights of those most at risk of human rights abuses at the center of every decision.”
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