Colombia’s Duque Lobbies in Washington to Project Post-Presidency International Image

In a few months the President of Colombia, Iván Duque, will leave the Nariño Palace, the presidential seat of the country. However, he is not going to leave office without moving his chips in Washington and other centers of power. His aim seems to be set on leadership positions of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Yesterday he spoke at the United Nations Security Council, lauding himself for the successful implementation of the Peace Accords, while agreement signatories as well as social leaders and common people of Colombia continue to be assassinated by the Colombian armed forces and paramilitaries.

According to Colombian newspaper El Espectador, this is the reason why the Colombian president is busily lobbying in the United States. His goal would be to win a position that could project him on an international scale. El Espectador writes, “According to his close associates and diplomats in Washington consulted by El Espectador, Duque, who is the youngest president in Colombia’s recent history, has been weaving the filigree of his post-mandate and has aimed his telescopic sight at the directorship of two of the most coveted positions within multilateral organizations: the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Sources consulted by El Espectador confirmed that the outgoing president does not seek to project his imge within Colombia; on the contrary, he “has been judicious, meticulous and strategic” in directing his efforts and speeches and utilizing his network of influential contacts in the centers of power in Washington, New York and Europe. Duque wants to be an international player in his fast-paced political career.

A hypothetical position at UNHCR, for example, would give Duque a lot of visibility within the multilateral organization circuit. UNHCR has a global presence in 135 countries and manages an average annual budget of about $9 billion. It is paradoxical, or maybe not, that Duque is seeking international projection, since in Colombia he is one of the politicians with highest levels of popular rejection.

Featured image: Colombian President Iván Duque speaking at the United Nations Security Council. Photo: news.un.org

(Misión Verdad)

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

OT/GMS/SC/EF