Colombia’s defense minister will travel to Washington in February to meet with his U.S. counterpart Robert Gates to discuss the country’s efforts to counter drug trafficking.
The official visit was announced Tuesday by Minister Rodrigo Rivera and U.S. drug czar Gil Kerlikowske, who is in Bogota to meet with government officials about the country’s efforts to combat the production and trafficking of illicit drugs.
During his visit, Rivera’s intends to discuss the violence caused by the illegal armed groups that are involved in drugs.
“Drug trafficking and the strategic importance it has as fuel for violence in Colombia and the region will be an issue during this meeting,” the Minister said.
Drug-related violence has been a hot topic in Colombian politics since the beginning of this year when two students from a prestigious Bogota university were found murdered near a beach on Colombia’s Caribbean coast.