US offers $1 billion to Colombia hours after new right-wing populist president sworn in
The significant financial pledge has been described as a "security package" by the US state department
The US has pledged $1 billion (£740 million) to Colombia on their new right-wing president's first day of office.
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Abelardo de la Espriella is a known an admirer of Donald Trump, and has echoed many of the US president's policies on his own campaign trail.
The significant financial pledge has been described as a "security package" by the US state department, who claim it will help Espriella achieve their "shared goals" - such as fighting organised crime and tackling illegal immigration.
It follows his maiden speech in which the Colombian president promised an "all-out war" on drug cartels - a move that no doubt pleased Mr Trump, who has repeatedly criticised the approach of de la Espriella's left-wing predecessor.
Prior to the election, Mr Trump has already voiced his support of de la Espriella, adding that he had the "total support and strength of the United States behind him" and predicting a "much better relationship" with Colombia should he be voted in.
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The US president has taken a much greater interest in Latin America during his second term in the White House, publicly courting politically aligned leaders and lashing out against those he disagrees with - including Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro.
De la Espriella - a lawyer and businessman by trade - has already gained Mr Trump's approval, painting himself as an outsider to the system and vowing to combat crime with an "iron fist".
In his first official speech, "El Tigre" pledged to crush armed insurgents, rebuild Colombia and defend democracy "by reason or by force" in a fiery address to troops at a nearby military base.
"There will not be a single place in our territory where criminals can feel safe," he said.
Comparisons have already been drawn between de la Espriella's plans and similar crackdowns by right-wing populists Nayib Bukele of El Salvador and Daniel Noboa of Ecuador.
De la Espriella's start also serves as a stark contrast to his predecessor, Gustavo Petro, who pursued a so-called "total peace" strategy prioritising negotiation between guerrilla groups, the state and cartels, and aiming to incentivise farmers to stop planting coca.
Critics claim the approach failed, with membership of armed groups has expanding in recent years and a brutal conflict sparked along the Colombia-Venezuela border, displacing thousands.
Trump has repeatedly blamed such policies for the flow of drugs and illegal migrants into the US.
Since taking over leadership, de la Espriella has also said Colombia would join the "Shield of the Americas" security partnership founded by Trump.