In an unexpected diplomatic pivot, former U.S. President Donald Trump has applauded Colombia’s newly elected leader, signalling a potential realignment of Western hemisphere alliances that has British strategists quietly recalibrating their post-Brexit playbook. The announcement, made via Trump’s social media platform, praised the Colombian president-elect’s “strong stance on law and order” and hinted at closer economic cooperation. What makes this noteworthy for London is the subtext: a renewed push for a Commonwealth-style bloc among American nations, with the UK positioning itself as a natural partner.
For decades, the UK’s influence in Latin America has been a ghost of its colonial past, confined to trade deals with Chile and residual ties to the Falklands. But this moment feels different. The new Colombian leader, a conservative populist who swept to power on anti-corruption and security platforms, shares ideological DNA with the Trump movement. More critically, he has expressed interest in joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a trade pact the UK recently acceded to. This creates a corridor of Pacific-facing economies from London to Bogotá, via Canberra and Tokyo.
Downing Street has been circumspect, but behind closed doors the Commonwealth card is being shuffled. The UK’s post-Brexit trade strategy relies on forging deeper ties with “kin nations” that share legal systems, language, or institutional norms. Colombia, while not a Commonwealth member, operates a civil code system similar to many Caribbean nations and has a growing English-speaking professional class. More importantly, it is the third-largest economy in Latin America and a bridge to the Andean region.
“The UK is uniquely placed to offer a trusted middleman role,” said a senior Whitehall source, requesting anonymity due to diplomatic sensitivities. “We can’t compete with China on infrastructure spending or the U.S. on security. But we can offer regulatory alignment, dispute resolution mechanisms, and a soft power network that Colombians respect. The Commonwealth is a brand that still carries weight in Bogotá.”
The timing is serendipitous. The UK is chairing the Commonwealth in 2024 and has been pushing for a “Commonwealth of the Americas” expansion that would include non-member states like Colombia, Argentina, and even Brazil. This would not be a formal membership but a tiered partnership model, offering preferential trade terms and judicial cooperation in exchange for adherence to standards on data protection, AI ethics, and digital sovereignty elements the UK has championed at the United Nations.
Critics warn that such overtures risk alienating Washington. The U.S. has historically viewed Latin America as its backyard, and any UK pursuit of a parallel bloc could be seen as poaching. But Trump’s endorsement changes the political calculus. If a Republican administration (or a Trump-aligned future candidate) views Colombia as a strategic counterweight to China, the UK’s involvement would be framed as burden-sharing, not freelancing.
There is also the quantum of culture. Colombians are increasingly looking to British soft power: the BBC’s Spanish-language service, the popularity of Premier League football, and rising university applications to the UK. London’s new Graduate visa route has made it easier for Colombian talent to stay. This microcosm of digital sovereignty the data flows and student exchanges is the scaffolding for deeper ties.
“We are watching the birth of a new axis,” said Dr. Elena Marquez, a geopolitical analyst at Chatham House. “Trump’s endorsement is a geostrategic lightning rod. It allows the UK to move without appearing to challenge the U.S. Meanwhile, Colombia gets a Western ally that is not America. For the Commonwealth, it’s a chance to prove it can be more than a nostalgia club.”
The immediate next step is a UK-Colombia trade review, expected to be announced within weeks. But the larger vision a digital Commonwealth stretching from Manchester to Medellín is already taking shape in the minds of ministers. As one Foreign Office official put it: “We don’t do empire anymore. But we do networks. And this network could be our most important since the original.”
