Colombia accuses Ecuador of "deliberate interference" in election

The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Ecuador this Saturday (30) of "deliberate interference" in Sunday's Colombian presidential election, after Ecuador's president agreed to suspend trade tariffs in a conversation with a presidential candidate.

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa said on Friday (29) that his country would remove bilateral tariffs on June 1, after reaching an agreement with right-wing Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo De La Espriella.

Noboa said on social media that the measure would be taken after "confirming (De La Espriella's) willingness to promote a real and joint fight against narco-terrorism."

We have reached an agreement with Abelardo de la Espriella to strengthen cooperation in trade, energy and security, for the benefit of both countries.

The measures adopted in recent months have had a clear objective: protect our borders, combat crime... pic.twitter.com/3jLhsL6W4g

- Daniel Noboa Azin (@DanielNoboaOk) May 30, 2026

He also said that they had agreed to the surrender of Ecuadorian criminals who are in Colombia.

The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejects "the misleading presentation of the decision to remove tariffs as a good faith measure by the Ecuadorian government," the ministry said in a statement, although it added that it would remove the measures adopted to mitigate Ecuador's tariffs.

Colombia recalls ambassador after tariffs applied by Ecuador | BEHIND THE SCENES CNN

Noboa's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The two countries have been embroiled in a trade dispute for months, with Ecuador charging tariffs over Colombia's failure to combat drug trafficking along the 586km border between the two countries, an assertion Colombian President Gustavo Petro has rejected.

De La Espriella, an independent candidate, will face Petro ally Ivan Cepeda and right-wing senator Paloma Valencia, among others, in Sunday's election.

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Source: CNN