Colombia election interference claim follows Noboa comments on Ecuador tariff repeal

Colombia’s government on Saturday dismissed Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa’s plan to scrap tariffs on Colombian imports. Colombia said the announcement, linked to talks with opposition candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, amounted to meddling in Colombia’s election. Colombia also said the tariff rollback was not a voluntary gesture by Ecuador.

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Noboa said on Friday, after meeting de la Espriella, that Noboa was committed to jointly fight narco-terrorism. Noboa also said Noboa would remove a security tax on June 1. Colombia’s Foreign Ministry said those remarks connected trade policy to the electoral contest.

Colombia election and Ecuador tariffs dispute

Colombia’s Foreign Ministry said the tariff repeal followed a ruling by the Andean Community of Nations. The ministry rejected Noboa’s framing of the move as goodwill. The ministry also called Noboa’s remarks deliberate election interference. It said the comments broke the non-intervention principle in internal affairs.

Colombians go to the polls on Sunday to choose a successor to President Gustavo Petro. De la Espriella is running under the political movement Defenders of the Homeland. De la Espriella is among the frontrunners in the polls. Noboa did not say if the tariff decision would stand if Iván Cepeda wins.

Andean Community of Nations ruling on Ecuador tariffs

The dispute began in January when Noboa imposed a "security tax\" on Colombian imports. Noboa cited weak control on the Colombian side of the border. Noboa also pointed to a trade deficit of at least USD 1 billion. The tariff started at 30 per cent and later increased to 50 per cent.

The tariff later reached 100 per cent, as tensions grew. Days before the latest announcement, Noboa said the rate would drop to 75 per cent. That reduction was set to start on June 1st. Noboa then said the tax would instead be eliminated on the same date.

The Petro administration rejected claims of neglect at the shared border. Colombia responded with tariffs of up to 75 per cent on Ecuadorian goods. Colombia also barred energy sales to Ecuador. The dispute also led both countries to summon each other’s ambassadors.

Earlier this month, the Andean Community of Nations ruled that the reciprocal tariffs must end. The group said the measures obstruct free trade. The ruling set a deadline for both countries to remove the tariffs. The group is now examining appeals that challenge the decision.

With inputs from PTI