Today sees the first ever state visit by a Colombian president to the UK. President Juan Manuel Santos, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is visiting for three days as an official guest of Her Majesty The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
Colombia connection: The UK's discreet role
By Frank Gardner, BBC security correspondent
1 November 2016
BBC News
Colombian and British flags on The Mall in London, celebrating a 200-year-old friendship
Tuesday sees the first ever state visit by a Colombian president to the UK. President Juan Manuel Santos, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is visiting for three days as an official guest of Her Majesty The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
He will have a working lunch with Prime Minister Theresa May, visit Belfast and attend events at Mansion House, the Natural History Museum and his old university, the LSE. For two nights running, the London Eye will be lit up in Colombia's national colours - red, yellow and blue: a gesture to the 200-year-old friendship between the two countries.
For a country often associated in many people's minds with intractable drugs wars and occasional dubious practices by security forces, this celebration of an alliance may come as a surprise.
Despite huge improvements in both security and the economy, Colombia is currently ranking neck-and-neck with Peru as the world's biggest producer of cocaine. Latest estimates put production at more than 100,000 hectares, which is nearly double what it was four years ago.
As home to the Western Hemisphere's longest running guerrilla insurgency - the Farc - hopes had been high that six years of peace talks in Havana would end in a historic deal.
It was duly done, the president shook hands with his longstanding foe, the Farc's Marxist leader, but the country rejected it in a national ballot by the slimmest of margins.
Although the ceasefire still stands, President Santos has warned that time is running out and that a revised deal needs to be in place by Christmas.
In the mid-1980s, the Special Air Service (SAS) helped set up Colombia's own special forces
Unknown to most people, the UK has been deeply involved in helping successive Colombian governments in several areas. The relationship runs far deeper than just the annual £1bn ($1.22bn) of bilateral trade.
In the mid-1980s, Britain's Special Air Service (SAS) helped set up Colombia's own special forces, seconding advisers to the country who worked closely with the Colombians, often in remote jungle outposts, training them in patrolling, ambush, counter-ambush and surveillance.
The US Army's Green Berets then took over this role and continue to mentor Colombian special forces today.
In counter-narcotics, the UK has long sought to tackle the problem upstream, before Colombian coke can reach these shores. The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), as the predecessors to the National Crime Agency (NCA), worked closely with their Colombian counterparts, seconding armed agents to the capital, Bogota, Medellin and other cities.
Today the NCA says it "works with a number of Colombian departments, including the national police and the office of the attorney general… to reduce the threat to the UK from the cocaine trade as well as money laundering and other organised crime".
Peace and reconciliation
And then there is the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), better known as MI6.
Although now playing a somewhat reduced role in Colombian counter-narcotics, Britain's overseas intelligence agency was heavily involved in setting up so-called "vetted units" - polygraphed and trusted Colombian intelligence agents who often took incredible risks to infiltrate the drug cartels, leading to arrests and convictions.
Stormont, the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Colombia has taken peace and reconciliation advice from a number of Northern Irish figures
MI6 also helped Colombia set up electronic eavesdropping centres, recording incriminating conversations and deals which, again, often resulted in criminal convictions.
Perhaps most surprising of all is the Northern Ireland connection. Colombia has taken peace and reconciliation advice from a number of Northern Irish figures over the years.
Jonathan Powell, who was chief-of-staff to Tony Blair from 1997-2007 and instrumental in securing peace for Northern Ireland, has spent the past five years working with the Colombian government, through his charity Inter Mediate. Ahead of the national referendum on the peace deal, he went to Cartagena to share in the triumph of the accord reached in Havana, only to describe "feeling sick to the stomach" when the people rejected it - by just 60,000 out of 13m votes.
President Santos has not given up yet on convincing the country to accept a modified deal. For him, the lessons of Northern Ireland and reconciliation are incredibly important.
On Thursday he will visit Belfast to meet some of those involved in Northern Ireland's peace process. With a historic peace deal in his own country still hanging perilously in the balance, he will be looking for all the encouragement he can get.
Colombia connection: The UK's discreet role - BBC News
Rolling out the Royal red carpet! Colombia's president Juan Manuel Santos and his wife are welcomed to London with full pomp and ceremony as they take a ride in the Queen's carriage
President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos de Calderon, begins Colombia’s first ever state visit to the UK
The Queen formally welcomed President Santos at the Royal Pavilion on Horse Guards Parade this morning
Tomorrow he will meet PM for working lunch at Downing Street before tour of the Natural History Museum
By EMMA GLANFIELD FOR MAILONLINE
1 November 2016
The President of Colombia arrived into Britain to be greeted by full pomp and pageantry today as the Queen pulled out all the stops to ensure his first ever state visit to the UK was a memorable affair.
Juan Manuel Santos de Calderon and his wife, Maria Clemencia Rodriguez de Santos, were formally welcomed by Her Majesty and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, at the Royal Pavilion on Horse Guards Parade, London.
The President, who has been leading Colombia’s peace process, was also greeted by PM Theresa May, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson during the ceremonial procession this morning.
The trip comes at a pivotal moment in the history of the South American nation, which is poised to turn its back on decades of civil war following a peace deal that earned the foreign head of state the Nobel Peace Prize.
Mr and Mrs Santos arrived at Horse Guards Parade - Henry VIII’s former jousting yard - by car after being greeted at their central London hotel by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, who visited Colombia in 2014.
The President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos and his wife Maria arrived into Britain to be greeted by full pomp and pageantry today as the Queen pulled out all the stops to ensure his first ever state visit to the UK was a memorable affair
Juan Manuel Santos de Calderon and his wife Maria were formally welcomed by Her Majesty and Theresa May at the Royal Pavilion on Horse Guards Parade. Pictured: Mrs May performs a curtsy for the Queen during the ceremonial welcome
Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos inspects an honour guard with Prince Philip during his ceremonial welcome today
The Queen and President Juan Manuel Santos left in a carriage procession for Buckingham Palace - travelling along The Mall
The Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen share a moment as they have their photograph taken with President Santos and Maria
Tricolor Nacional and Union Jack flags line The Mall in central London today ahead of President Santos' visit to meet the Queen
Under grey skies, the Queen and Philip stood waiting to welcome the visitors with Mrs May, Ms Rudd and Mr Johnson, as well as military top brass and other leading figure.
On the parade ground the Guard of Honour, the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, formed in two lines with the Corps of Drums of the Battalion and the Band of the Regiment, under the command of Major Charles Starkey.
Following time-honoured tradition, Prince Philip led the visiting head of state to inspect the Guard of Honour.
President Santos walked past the lines of Guardsmen, glancing at the soldiers who, when not performing ceremonial duties, are active servicemen. The Duke walked a few paces behind the foreign leader, who strode ahead past the lines of troops in their grey greatcoats and famous bearskins.
Earlier, the Queen, who wore an ensemble by Angela Kelly - a green cashmere coat, silk crepe dress in shades of apple green, grey and gold lame, and matching hat - introduced Mr Santos and his wife to the Prime Minister and other VIP guests.
After the welcome ceremony ended, the Queen left in a carriage procession for Buckingham Palace.
Mr Santos and his wife will stay with the Queen at Buckingham Palace, and will be entertained at a lavish state banquet this evening.
It is the first time a state visit to the UK has been carried out by a Colombian president but the South American leader and his wife have met the Queen before - during a private audience in 2011.
During his visit, the President - accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh - will inspect the Guard of Honour, before enjoying a state carriage procession along The Mall to Buckingham Palace. Following a private lunch, he will view an exhibition in the Picture Gallery of items from the Royal Collection relating to Colombia.
This afternoon, he will visit Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster before meeting the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall for tea at Clarence House. He will later enjoy the lavish state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
To mark the occasion of the state visit, the London Eye will be lit up in yellow, blue and red – the colours of the Colombian flag – tonight and tomorrow.
And at midday today there was a 41-round gun salute at the Tower of London.
The state visit, the first since Mrs May became Prime Minister, will also feature Downing Street talks.
Tomorrow, Mrs May will host the President at 10 Downing Street for a working lunch, and the President will also attend events at Mansion House, the Natural History Museum and the London School of Economics.
Boris Johnson will take the President on a private tour of the Cabinet War Rooms.
Mr Johnson said: 'We are delighted to welcome President Santos to the UK. Britain works hand-in-hand with Colombia on the world stage whenever the occasion demands.
'We have an important national interest in the security and prosperity of Colombia, and we look forward to forging new links in science, education and research, while reinforcing the traditional friendship between our two peoples through increased tourism.
'Colombia is on the verge of a historic peace agreement and through our ongoing support for the country the UK is well-placed to take advantage of the opportunities that will follow. We will continue to support President Santos and the people of Colombia as they work to secure lasting peace.
'As we leave the EU, Britain remains a bold and outward-looking nation, and we are forging a new global role and taking advantage of economic and diplomatic opportunities in the wider world, beyond Europe.
'Colombia holds huge potential for British investors in areas ranging from health care to transport, defence and energy, and I hope that the state visit will help to open up these opportunities.'
Read more: Theresa May's curtsy for the Queen: PM and the royals welcome Colombia's president Juan Manuel Santos and his wife to London for their historic official state visit* | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Colombia connection: The UK's discreet role
By Frank Gardner, BBC security correspondent
1 November 2016
BBC News
Colombian and British flags on The Mall in London, celebrating a 200-year-old friendship
Tuesday sees the first ever state visit by a Colombian president to the UK. President Juan Manuel Santos, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is visiting for three days as an official guest of Her Majesty The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
He will have a working lunch with Prime Minister Theresa May, visit Belfast and attend events at Mansion House, the Natural History Museum and his old university, the LSE. For two nights running, the London Eye will be lit up in Colombia's national colours - red, yellow and blue: a gesture to the 200-year-old friendship between the two countries.
For a country often associated in many people's minds with intractable drugs wars and occasional dubious practices by security forces, this celebration of an alliance may come as a surprise.
Despite huge improvements in both security and the economy, Colombia is currently ranking neck-and-neck with Peru as the world's biggest producer of cocaine. Latest estimates put production at more than 100,000 hectares, which is nearly double what it was four years ago.
As home to the Western Hemisphere's longest running guerrilla insurgency - the Farc - hopes had been high that six years of peace talks in Havana would end in a historic deal.
It was duly done, the president shook hands with his longstanding foe, the Farc's Marxist leader, but the country rejected it in a national ballot by the slimmest of margins.
Although the ceasefire still stands, President Santos has warned that time is running out and that a revised deal needs to be in place by Christmas.
In the mid-1980s, the Special Air Service (SAS) helped set up Colombia's own special forces
Unknown to most people, the UK has been deeply involved in helping successive Colombian governments in several areas. The relationship runs far deeper than just the annual £1bn ($1.22bn) of bilateral trade.
In the mid-1980s, Britain's Special Air Service (SAS) helped set up Colombia's own special forces, seconding advisers to the country who worked closely with the Colombians, often in remote jungle outposts, training them in patrolling, ambush, counter-ambush and surveillance.
The US Army's Green Berets then took over this role and continue to mentor Colombian special forces today.
In counter-narcotics, the UK has long sought to tackle the problem upstream, before Colombian coke can reach these shores. The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), as the predecessors to the National Crime Agency (NCA), worked closely with their Colombian counterparts, seconding armed agents to the capital, Bogota, Medellin and other cities.
Today the NCA says it "works with a number of Colombian departments, including the national police and the office of the attorney general… to reduce the threat to the UK from the cocaine trade as well as money laundering and other organised crime".
Peace and reconciliation
And then there is the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), better known as MI6.
Although now playing a somewhat reduced role in Colombian counter-narcotics, Britain's overseas intelligence agency was heavily involved in setting up so-called "vetted units" - polygraphed and trusted Colombian intelligence agents who often took incredible risks to infiltrate the drug cartels, leading to arrests and convictions.
Stormont, the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Colombia has taken peace and reconciliation advice from a number of Northern Irish figures
MI6 also helped Colombia set up electronic eavesdropping centres, recording incriminating conversations and deals which, again, often resulted in criminal convictions.
Perhaps most surprising of all is the Northern Ireland connection. Colombia has taken peace and reconciliation advice from a number of Northern Irish figures over the years.
Jonathan Powell, who was chief-of-staff to Tony Blair from 1997-2007 and instrumental in securing peace for Northern Ireland, has spent the past five years working with the Colombian government, through his charity Inter Mediate. Ahead of the national referendum on the peace deal, he went to Cartagena to share in the triumph of the accord reached in Havana, only to describe "feeling sick to the stomach" when the people rejected it - by just 60,000 out of 13m votes.
President Santos has not given up yet on convincing the country to accept a modified deal. For him, the lessons of Northern Ireland and reconciliation are incredibly important.
On Thursday he will visit Belfast to meet some of those involved in Northern Ireland's peace process. With a historic peace deal in his own country still hanging perilously in the balance, he will be looking for all the encouragement he can get.
Colombia connection: The UK's discreet role - BBC News
Rolling out the Royal red carpet! Colombia's president Juan Manuel Santos and his wife are welcomed to London with full pomp and ceremony as they take a ride in the Queen's carriage
President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos de Calderon, begins Colombia’s first ever state visit to the UK
The Queen formally welcomed President Santos at the Royal Pavilion on Horse Guards Parade this morning
Tomorrow he will meet PM for working lunch at Downing Street before tour of the Natural History Museum
By EMMA GLANFIELD FOR MAILONLINE
1 November 2016
The President of Colombia arrived into Britain to be greeted by full pomp and pageantry today as the Queen pulled out all the stops to ensure his first ever state visit to the UK was a memorable affair.
Juan Manuel Santos de Calderon and his wife, Maria Clemencia Rodriguez de Santos, were formally welcomed by Her Majesty and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, at the Royal Pavilion on Horse Guards Parade, London.
The President, who has been leading Colombia’s peace process, was also greeted by PM Theresa May, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson during the ceremonial procession this morning.
The trip comes at a pivotal moment in the history of the South American nation, which is poised to turn its back on decades of civil war following a peace deal that earned the foreign head of state the Nobel Peace Prize.
Mr and Mrs Santos arrived at Horse Guards Parade - Henry VIII’s former jousting yard - by car after being greeted at their central London hotel by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, who visited Colombia in 2014.
The President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos and his wife Maria arrived into Britain to be greeted by full pomp and pageantry today as the Queen pulled out all the stops to ensure his first ever state visit to the UK was a memorable affair
Juan Manuel Santos de Calderon and his wife Maria were formally welcomed by Her Majesty and Theresa May at the Royal Pavilion on Horse Guards Parade. Pictured: Mrs May performs a curtsy for the Queen during the ceremonial welcome
Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos inspects an honour guard with Prince Philip during his ceremonial welcome today
The Queen and President Juan Manuel Santos left in a carriage procession for Buckingham Palace - travelling along The Mall
The Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen share a moment as they have their photograph taken with President Santos and Maria
Tricolor Nacional and Union Jack flags line The Mall in central London today ahead of President Santos' visit to meet the Queen
Under grey skies, the Queen and Philip stood waiting to welcome the visitors with Mrs May, Ms Rudd and Mr Johnson, as well as military top brass and other leading figure.
On the parade ground the Guard of Honour, the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, formed in two lines with the Corps of Drums of the Battalion and the Band of the Regiment, under the command of Major Charles Starkey.
Following time-honoured tradition, Prince Philip led the visiting head of state to inspect the Guard of Honour.
President Santos walked past the lines of Guardsmen, glancing at the soldiers who, when not performing ceremonial duties, are active servicemen. The Duke walked a few paces behind the foreign leader, who strode ahead past the lines of troops in their grey greatcoats and famous bearskins.
Earlier, the Queen, who wore an ensemble by Angela Kelly - a green cashmere coat, silk crepe dress in shades of apple green, grey and gold lame, and matching hat - introduced Mr Santos and his wife to the Prime Minister and other VIP guests.
After the welcome ceremony ended, the Queen left in a carriage procession for Buckingham Palace.
Mr Santos and his wife will stay with the Queen at Buckingham Palace, and will be entertained at a lavish state banquet this evening.
It is the first time a state visit to the UK has been carried out by a Colombian president but the South American leader and his wife have met the Queen before - during a private audience in 2011.
During his visit, the President - accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh - will inspect the Guard of Honour, before enjoying a state carriage procession along The Mall to Buckingham Palace. Following a private lunch, he will view an exhibition in the Picture Gallery of items from the Royal Collection relating to Colombia.
This afternoon, he will visit Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster before meeting the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall for tea at Clarence House. He will later enjoy the lavish state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
To mark the occasion of the state visit, the London Eye will be lit up in yellow, blue and red – the colours of the Colombian flag – tonight and tomorrow.
And at midday today there was a 41-round gun salute at the Tower of London.
The state visit, the first since Mrs May became Prime Minister, will also feature Downing Street talks.
Tomorrow, Mrs May will host the President at 10 Downing Street for a working lunch, and the President will also attend events at Mansion House, the Natural History Museum and the London School of Economics.
Boris Johnson will take the President on a private tour of the Cabinet War Rooms.
Mr Johnson said: 'We are delighted to welcome President Santos to the UK. Britain works hand-in-hand with Colombia on the world stage whenever the occasion demands.
'We have an important national interest in the security and prosperity of Colombia, and we look forward to forging new links in science, education and research, while reinforcing the traditional friendship between our two peoples through increased tourism.
'Colombia is on the verge of a historic peace agreement and through our ongoing support for the country the UK is well-placed to take advantage of the opportunities that will follow. We will continue to support President Santos and the people of Colombia as they work to secure lasting peace.
'As we leave the EU, Britain remains a bold and outward-looking nation, and we are forging a new global role and taking advantage of economic and diplomatic opportunities in the wider world, beyond Europe.
'Colombia holds huge potential for British investors in areas ranging from health care to transport, defence and energy, and I hope that the state visit will help to open up these opportunities.'
Read more: Theresa May's curtsy for the Queen: PM and the royals welcome Colombia's president Juan Manuel Santos and his wife to London for their historic official state visit* | Daily Mail Online
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
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