Sovereignty and International Cooperation: Critical Analysis of the Arrival of American Troops in Colombia, an International Law Perspective

Abstract

The Governments of Colombia and the United States of America agreed that a specialized agency of the United States army would arrive in Colombia in June 2020, among other reasons, to join efforts in order to counter drug trafficking. However, the arrival of the American troops in Colombia is controversial for three main reasons: (i) the importance of the territory with regard to a state's sovereignty; (ii) the fact that the Colombian Government did not fulfil a constitutional requirement concerning the mandatory Senate authorization regarding the transit of foreign troops; (iii) the belief that the American troops are in Colombia to carry out actions against the current Venezuelan Government led by president Nicolás Maduro. This article argues that military assistance is compatible with the UN Charter if requested by a state to cope with internal matters and is carried out according to the terms and conditions previously agreed upon. Even though there are several treaties that could justify the arrival of American troops in Colombia, the lack of consent expressed by the competent authority renders illegal their presence in Colombia. Nonetheless, based on the International Court of Justice jurisprudence, the article acknowledges that it is too soon to say the agreement between Colombia and the US is invalid according to international law, since the criteria established regarding the invalidity of treaties based on consent is very strict.