Highlights of the Washington Post column:
· “Colombian President Iván Duque began a lockdown in March that has spared his country some of the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic. But that hasn’t helped his neighbors in hard-hit Latin America, and Duque says the lesson is that countries must work better together to prevent the spread of disease.”
· “The interview with Duque … offered a useful window on a country and region that matter increasingly to U.S. trade, immigration and security policy. Duque said he had been studying warnings late last year from the WHO about the danger of a respiratory pandemic, so when covid-19 emerged in Wuhan, he paid attention.”
· “Asked about neighboring Venezuela, which has spilled 1.8 million refugees into Colombia, Duque repeated his sharp criticism of President Nicolás Maduro, whom he called a ‘dictator’ and ‘war criminal,’ and his support for opposition leader Juan Guaidó. Working with the United States and regional allies, Duque has pressed for a Venezuela transition plan that includes a coalition government, elections and an economic recovery plan.”