By Rubén Gallego
As the first Colombian-American in Congress, I am pleased to congratulate Iván Duque on his election as President of Colombia.
Colombia, our close friend and ally, is at a historic crossroads and faces serious challenges. The United States remains committed to supporting President-Elect Duque and the Colombian people in overcoming them, just as we have for the past two decades.
Foremost among these challenges is implementation of the landmark accord signed last year with the FARC, a peace deal I am proud to support. am hopeful that Duque’s administration will continue to make progress in bringing vital government services to rural areas, reintegrating former combatants into society, and seeking justice for victims of the conflict. I also urge the new government to take strong steps to enhance protections for human rights defenders in Colombia.
I want to assure President-Elect Duque that Members of Congress from both parties are working to maintain América’s aid commitments under the Peace Colombia partnership. I look forward to welcoming him to Washington very soon to discuss how we can strengthen the critical relationship between our two countries.
Arizona Congressman Rubén Gallego is the son of Hispanic immigrants, a veteran, and a community leader. He serves as a Senior Whip for the Democratic Caucus, the Second Vice Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Vice Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Vice-Chair of the Equality Caucus, and currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Natural Resources Committee.
