Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott is calling on the Trump administration to take more aggressive steps to ensure the integrity of next month's presidential election in Colombia, citing a "deeply concerning" environment of violence and political intimidation.
In a letter sent Tuesday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Scott warned that the democratic process in one of America’s most critical regional allies is under threat.
Scott’s concerns are fueled by a recent pre-election assessment from the International Republican Institute, which paints a grim picture of a nation grappling with "heightened insecurity, weakened state security capacity, and increasing political polarization."
"Independent reporting further indicates that the election is unfolding amid serious violence and instability, including rising attacks and expanding territorial control by armed groups, assassinations of political figures, and the disruption of campaigning in some regions," Scott wrote.
READ MORE: Colombia's election takes a tense turn with wave of pre-election violence
Voters in Colombia will head to the polls on May 31 to choose from 14 different presidential candidates, including Iván Cepeda, and conservatives Abelardo de la Espriella and Paloma Valencia.
Under President Gustavo Petro, a former member of a guerrilla group, the Colombian government has attempted to stage peace talks with the nation’s remaining rebel groups through a strategy known as " total peace.”
Petro is barred by Colombia’s constitution from running for another term. Cepeda is from the same party as the current president.
Colombia's deteriorating security
Scott's letter came the same day the International Committee of the Red Cross reported that the impact of armed conflict on civilians in Colombia over the past year has been the worst in a decade as the country's security situation deteriorates.
The humanitarian group said the number of people displaced as criminal gangs and rebels fight the Colombian state and each other doubled in 2025, reaching 235,000 people. Meanwhile, the number of people who had to endure lockdowns imposed by rebel groups in small towns and villages increased by 99% last year.
For decades rebel groups and drug traffickers have been fighting the Colombian government for control of rural areas, including corridors linked to the cocaine trade.
A 2016 peace deal between the Colombian government and the nation’s largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, helped to reduce rural violence. But the security situation has since deteriorated in many parts of the country, as smaller groups try to control areas that were once dominated by the FARC rebels, where they tax local business and intimidate civilians who stand in their way.
'Free, fair election'?
For South Florida, home to the largest Colombian diaspora in the United States, the stability of the Andean nation is a domestic issue as much as a foreign one, said Scoot, who said Colombia’s ability to hold a "free, fair, and transparent election" is vital to regional stability and the rule of law.
Scott said an "expanding territorial influence of illegal armed groups" are restricting the movement of candidates and preventing voters in certain regions from participating safely.
"Equally troubling is the documented rise in political violence and intimidation," Scott wrote. "Reports of targeted killings, threats against candidates and community leaders, and broader risks to human rights defenders suggest a climate that could suppress participation and undermine public confidence."
Scott is asking Rubio to clarify how the U.S. is coordinating with international partners to "ensure a unified and proactive approach" to the crisis.
"Given the stakes for both Colombia and the broader region, sustained and visible U.S. leadership will be essential," Scott said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
