Colombia’s president-elect Abelardo de la Espriella said he will break diplomatic relations with the leftist governments of Cuba and Nicaragua once he takes office on August 7.

“In my government, there will be no ties with tyrannies,” the hard-right politician said in a social media post, which also announced the closure of 15 consulates and 14 embassies.

Esperilla won the recent presidential election by a narrow margin and received the endorsement of US President Donald Trump during his campaign.

Relations between historical allies Colombia and the United States have been strained to an unprecedented degree since the beginning of Trump’s second term, marked by frequent clashes between him and the outgoing leftist president, Gustavo Petro.

According to Petro, Esperilla receives direct orders from the US State Department. Petro criticized what he called Trump’s “interference” in Colombian politics due to his open support for Esperilla.

In Nicaragua, the parliament and electoral body are moving toward passing a reform that would exclude the opposition from elections, at the behest of President Daniel Ortega, who has been in power since 2007. Washington has strongly condemned this plan.

Meanwhile, relations between Cuba and the United States have deteriorated significantly in recent months, with Trump repeatedly threatening to take control of the island. (AFP)