A renewed security and cooperation agenda for Colombia’s next government

Issue Brief

June 12, 2026 • 5:14 pm ET

the US–Colombia Strategic Alignment Coalition

Bottom lines up front

Illegal armed groups have expanded their reach across more than half of Colombia’s municipalities, showing resilience to state pressure by diversifying revenue streams, adapting operations, and consolidating control over civilian populations. The next government needs a territorially differentiated security strategy that rebuilds public-force readiness and expands state presence where armed groups have filled governance gaps.US-Colombia security cooperation should move beyond counternarcotics to help dismantle criminal governance structures and the financial networks that sustain them.