Colombia says Ecuador meddled in election with tariff pledge
Colombia accused Ecuador's president of interfering in its election after Daniel Noboa tied a tariff rollback to talks with Abelardo de la Espriella.
Colombia's Foreign Ministry on Saturday accused Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa of interfering in Colombia's presidential election after he said he would lift tariffs on Colombian imports following talks with candidate Abelardo de la Espriella. The ministry said the tariff repeal stemmed from an Andean Community of Nations ruling, not a personal gesture by Noboa, and called his comments a violation of non-intervention. Colombians vote Sunday to choose a successor to President Gustavo Petro. Noboa said the tariffs would end June 1 and linked the move to agreements on trade and security with de la Espriella. The dispute follows months of trade tensions, with Ecuador and Colombia imposing steep tariffs and other retaliatory measures.