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Wednesday, September 9, 2026

The File

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State Department · Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Rubio meets Colombia’s president and signs nuclear and minerals deals

The File desk · Sep. 9, 2026, 10:24 a.m. ET

Confirmed2 primary sources

Status

Confirmed from the State Department public schedule for Sept. 8, 2026. Full memorandum texts were not fetched as separate documents in this pass.
  • Confirmed
    The Sept. 8 public schedule placed Secretary Marco Rubio in Barranquilla, Colombia. At 2:00 p.m. local he met President Abelardo De La Espriella (closed press). At 3:25 p.m. local he joined a signing ceremony for with De La Espriella and Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar (pooled press).
  • Confirmed
    The Sept. 4 travel note still lists the Sept. 8–10 itinerary through Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, with earthquake response, narcoterrorism cooperation, and commercial ties on the agenda.
Marco Rubio’s South America trip got concrete on day one. The State Department’s Sept. 8 public schedule put him in Barranquilla, Colombia. At 2 p.m. local he met President Abelardo De La Espriella. At 3:25 p.m. he joined a signing ceremony for with De La Espriella and Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar. Pooled press covered the signing. The broader Sept. 8–10 itinerary still runs through Ecuador and Peru, with earthquake aid, narcoterrorism cooperation, and trade on the agenda from the Sept. 4 travel note.
Marco Rubio’s South America trip got concrete on day one.
The State Department’s Sept. 8 public schedule placed the secretary in Barranquilla, Colombia, on travel that runs through Ecuador and Peru from Sept. 8 to 10.
At 2:00 p.m. local he met President Abelardo De La Espriella. That meeting was closed to the press.
At 3:25 p.m. local he joined a signing ceremony with De La Espriella and Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar. The schedule names the papers: . Pooled press covered the signing.
He also held a closed-press meet-and-greet with employees of U.S. Embassy Bogotá, still in Barranquilla, at 4:05 p.m. local.
The Sept. 4 travel note said the trip would take up U.S. support for Colombia’s earthquake response, closer work against narcoterrorism, and deeper commercial ties. Ecuador and Peru meeting write-ups are not up yet. This desk did not fetch the full memorandum texts as separate documents.
How we know

What is still unknown or disputed

  • Full text of the signed memorandums not fetched as separate documents in this pass.
  • Ecuador and Peru meeting readouts not yet published.

Primary sources

Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.

  1. Source 1

    Public Schedule – September 8, 2026

    U.S. Department of State · September 8, 2026

    Rubio meets De La Espriella 2:00 p.m. local Barranquilla (closed press); 3:25 p.m. signing with De La Espriella and Foreign Minister Omar Bula Escobar (pooled press).

    https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/09/public-schedule-september-8-2026

  2. Source 2

    Secretary Rubio’s Travel to Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru

    U.S. Department of State · September 4, 2026

    Travel Sept. 8–10; earthquake response, narcoterrorism, commercial ties.

    https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/09/secretary-rubios-travel-to-colombia-ecuador-and-peru