Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced his intention to lift all tariffs on Colombian products starting June 1 during a conversation with far-right Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella.

The Ecuadorian head of state confirmed the move on X, stating that the so-called security fee would drop to zero percent after he and De la Espriella agreed to strengthen trade, energy, and security cooperation “for the benefit of both countries,” actively involving himself in De la Espriella’s campaign.

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Noboa had originally imposed a tariff in February, claiming insufficient action by Colombia’s current president, Gustavo Petro, against drug trafficking and border crime. The punitive measure started at 30%, rose to 50%, and reached 100% on May 1.

De la Espriella, who trails leftist candidate Iván Cepeda and leads Uribista Paloma Valencia in opinion polls, said that if he wins the presidency — either in Sunday’s first round or a June 21 runoff — he will visit Noboa at the border to further deepen bilateral ties. The announcement came as part of a broader conversation in which the two also agreed on the handover of Ecuadorian criminals currently in Colombian territory.

Noboa’s decision to publicly discuss and finalize such a significant trade reversal with a candidate, rather than with Colombia’s sitting government, comes at a highly sensitive moment, less than 48 hours before Colombians head to the polls.

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