Ecuador accused of meddling in Colombian election with tariff vow

Colombia's foreign ministry has accused Ecuador's president of "deliberate interference" in its forthcoming election after he promised a right-wing candidate he would lift tariffs.Daniel Noboa framed his conversation with Colombian presidential hopeful Abelardo de la Espriella on Friday as one with an administration-in-waiting, saying the two had "reached an agreement" on trade and security.Colombia heads to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president, in an atmosphere of intense political polarisation.The outcome of the election could redefine which countries the Latin American nation aligns itself with, and how the government intends to tackle drug gangs amid spiralling violence.Left-wing President Gustavo Petro, who is unable to seek re-election, has repeatedly sparred with US counterpart Donald Trump over a number of issues including drug trafficking and American intervention in the region.Noboa, a staunch ally of the US president, has taken a hard line on drug-related violence and has joined a US-led alliance aimed at fighting cartels.He wrote that he had decided to drop Ecuador's tariffs on Colombian products as of 1 June following his conversation with de la Espriella, and said the two had "agreed on the handover of Ecuadorian criminals who are in Colombian territory".Ecuador has gradually imposed tariffs on imports from Colombia since January, citing what it described as Colombia's failure to secure their shared border.