The Deputy Director of BPC/PUC-Rio, Professor Maria Elena Rodríguez, gave an interview to the podcast Intriga Internacional on Metropolitana Rio radio

The Deputy Director of BPC/PUC-Rio, Professor Maria Elena Rodríguez, gave an interview to the podcast Intriga Internacional, on Metropolitana Rio radio, to analyze the trade dispute between Ecuador and Colombia and its connections to the foreign policy of the United States.

The dispute began after a unilateral decision by Ecuador, which imposed tariffs on Colombia alleging a lack of cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking. In response, Colombia adopted tariff measures and broke an energy agreement. The expert highlighted that the conflict is surprising because it involves countries with a history of cooperation and economic interdependence, especially Ecuador in relation to Colombia.

According to the researcher, the dispute reflects the methods adopted by the United States, especially during the Trump administration, in normalizing the use of tariffs as a political instrument to the detriment of diplomacy. Furthermore, she stressed the importance of a position from the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty), considering the strategic relevance of the region and the context of the Colombian elections. According to the director, relations between Brazil and Colombia are among the most stable in Brazilian foreign policy, reinforcing Brazil’s role as a relevant diplomatic actor at the present time.