he's expected to face his second leadership challenge in four days later and has already said that if a vote is called, he will step down. using the word in public for the first time, president trump has claimed that any attempt by his opponents to impeach him would colla pse opponents to impeach him would collapse the market and damage the country. he has been responding to the conviction of his former personal lawyer who gave evidence that he broke a campaign finance laws and that election on the orders of mrtrump. hurricane lane has been downgraded as it reaches land in hawaii. the authorities there though have warned residents and visitors that heavy rain is likely to cause disruption for several days now on bbc news it's hardtalk. stephen sackur is in bogota for an exclusive interview with colombia's new president, ivan duque. welcome to hardtalk from bogota with

me, stephen sackur. i have come to the colombian capital for an exclusive interview with the new president of the country. ivan duque isa president of the country. ivan duque is a useful centre—right politician who faces enormous challenges in these early days of his presidency. will he stick with that fragile peace deal agreed by his predecessor with the rebel group the farc? and how will he deal with the unfolding economic and humanitarian catastrophe in neighbouring venezuela? catastrophe in neighbouring venezuela 7 ivan catastrophe in neighbouring venezuela? ivan duque is a relatively untested political novice. how will he responded to these early challenges? president

ivan duque, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. it is a pleasant to here. i have to start by the crisis in venezuela. a massive economic and humanitarian catastrophe in that country which is having repercussions throughout the region. people are calling it the greatest migration crisis that latin america has ever experienced. is colombia struggling to cope? what is happening in venezuelan is the consequence of a dictatorship. it has derailed independent powers, it has derailed independent powers, it has derailed independent powers, it has derailed free press. it has abused its population and it has destroyed the economy. so there are thousands of people trying to find hope somewhere else and the first

choice is colombia. we have now over 800,000 venezuelan choice is colombia. we have now over 800 , 000 venezuelan citizens choice is colombia. we have now over 800,000 venezuelan citizens in colombia and we have to give them support. however we now need stronger action from all latin american countries so that we can have a temporary protection status so have a temporary protection status so that we can all support that population. i return to the question, right now with those 800,000, some say a million already, and it could go much higher. right now, would you accept that colombia is struggling to cope?” now, would you accept that colombia is struggling to cope? i think colombia has a major, major... situation with what is happening. but i think we have to be very articulate in terms of policy and in terms of solidarity. in terms of policy i think we are doing the right thing, providing health, education, humanitarian support. in

terms of humanitarian assistance, we need a big it action with the help of other countries. let me tell you something, the most important thing at this moment is that if the dictatorship does not end, the migration will not stop. that is why, using all the diplomatic approach is necessary, we have to isolate the regime and ask for free elections so that people will have hope again and will move back to venezuela in the year following yea rs. venezuela in the year following years. are you asking for reaching change in venezuela ?|j years. are you asking for reaching change in venezuela? i think many countries are and we are also asking for it. we did not recognise the last elections in venezuela. why? because the dictator manipulated the democratic system, the apparent that a chaotic system, to keep himself in office. the colombian government has not recognise that regime and so

many other countries have not as well. i will return to the regional politics but to finish up on the humanitarian situation on your border, observers on the border are saying that in colombia, if the venezuelan people who have crossed the border do not have passports and all of their registration documents, they are not being allowed into the humanitarian aid centres and shelters. why is that? in colombia we a cce pt shelters. why is that? in colombia we accept people without a passport. other countries in latin america are making those restrictions. other countries in latin america are making those restrictionslj understand. you are not giving them access to humanitarian support that you just told me about but if you do not have a possible you cannot access it. we have been giving support to people without passports. and we have for a long time. at the washington office on latin america issued a report the other day saying, quote, the colombian government is making it difficult

for venezuelans to government is making it difficult for venezuela ns to access humanitarian aid and shelter. this makes migrants are vulnerable. we have been keeping the same policing that a policy that began some months ago and that policy has to keep our borders open to humanitarian support and we know that now is the time where we have two give back the solidarity we received years ago from the venezuelan people when we had huge colombian migration. so now we must give ourselves to the solidarity but we have to articulate the right policies we do the right thing. can you categorically say to me right now that colombia will never close its border to venezuelans? we have never done that. and we should not. but we must face the fact that now colombia, by

itself, will not be the solution. we need support from other countries. let me say this, we also have to call for an international action. that allows the regime to step out so that allows the regime to step out so that they can have free elections in venezuela and those free elections can re— optimise people, their confidence to return to venezuela. how much intervention are you prepared to support? i noticed the other day you had a meeting with the other day you had a meeting with the us defence secretaryjim matters. you also met with the us, the un ambassador who said that after meeting you that, quote, at some point maduro will have to be dealt with. are you, the americans and others talking about the direct intervention to get rid of maduro?” have never spoken about military action. what i have said is that we

have to use all the diplomatic measures that are available. last yeari measures that are available. last year i denounced nicolas maduro at the international criminal court with a support from venezuela and chile. now i ask other presidents of latin america to support the denouncement that the secretary general of the oas has placed against maduro. we also need to make against maduro. we also need to make a case before the un security council so we can demonstrate that maduro is giving shelter to colombian terrorist groups. just the other day after you took over as president with soaring incident where you accused venezuelans of sending helicopters and, i believe, 30 troops into your territory. that was two days ago and those are provocations. we cannot get into provocations. we cannot get into provocations. what we need to do at this moment is to use all our diplomatic measures to denounce

those incursions into colombian territory but we will not get into any military action. this crisis in venezuela is having a huge impact on your country and is putting a strain on your country. however people here in colombia, in yourfirst on your country. however people here in colombia, in your first few weeks on thejob as in colombia, in your first few weeks on the job as president, they want to know what you will do about the peace deal struck with the farc by your predecessor. you opposed it and people now wonder if you want to scrap that deal. do you? people now wonder if you want to scrap that deal. do you ?|j people now wonder if you want to scrap that deal. do you? i always said that we were not going to destroy the agreement. we had to make the right amendments so that we could have a lasting peace in colombia. what is that mean? that we can putan colombia. what is that mean? that we can put an end to the expansion of illegal crops, that we can sanction the people who have hidden weapons oi’ the people who have hidden weapons or assets that should be given to attend the victims. and something

thatis attend the victims. and something that is necessary, people condemned for crimes against humanity have two leave congress while they serve their sentence. but the party can replace those seats so they do not lose the seats they already have. that is coherence. and that is just trying to make the colombian people believe that reparation, and the armament, demobilisation and attending the victims are retained as principals. what you said before the presidential election was this, you said we cannot allow farc leaders to participate in politics. that is a catastrophe until they have provided reparations to all of their victims, told all of the truth and completed their sentences. so you appear to be saying that contrary to the agreement, farc leaders can not play a role in politics. what i said is what i actually, is what my predecessor

said in the midst of the plebiscite of 2000, that referendum of 2016. what did he say? he said that people who are responsible for crimes against humanity will not be able to run for office until they serve the sentence, tell the truth and repair the victims. so they are now in congress. what i say at this moment is that any amendment should emphasise that people who have convictions for crimes against humanity they have to leave the seat but the seat can be replaced by a number member who does not have a debt with justice for crimes against humanity. this effort of yours to change the nature of the deal... to modify. to modify. i guess it reflects what your critics call your reliance on the support and backing of former president. he hated that deal. he continues to hate that deal. he continues to hate that deal. some in colombia see you as

his puppet. i am the president of colombia. i was elected with the his puppet. i am the president of cc the bia. i was elected with the his puppet. i am the president of cc the colombian lected with the his puppet. i am the president of cc the colombian people. 'ith the his puppet. i am the president of cc the colombian people. i:h the his puppet. i am the president of cc the colombian people. i want all of the colombian people. i want all colombian people to have lasting peace and to have lasting peace, we need to have justice and justice needs legality. and you are playing with fire because if you say you wa nt with fire because if you say you want peace, listen to these words from the international crisis group, a respected bunch of international co nsulta nts a respected bunch of international consultants to look at this deal and the politics in colombia and they say that if you continue with your effo rts say that if you continue with your efforts to modify the deal, quote, it could spark renewed violence, it could hinder the extension of state authority and legal economic activity to those long neglected rural areas and it could fuel the growth of illicit armed groups. i.e., colombia could sink back into

the violence we saw before. today, u nfortu nately, we the violence we saw before. today, unfortunately, we have seen 1.5 yea rs unfortunately, we have seen 1.5 years after the agreement has been signed. we have seen exponential growth in illegal crops. we have seen dissident grow winter territory and create a threat to the colombian population. you say in the peace deal is not working? in some places of the country it is not. and it has been recognised, even by people who we re been recognised, even by people who were previously supported. actually, actually, let's look at the facts... let mejust finished actually, let's look at the facts... let me just finished the argument. when we look at what is going on in colombia today, the thing that we all desperately want is we have a lasting peace. and in order to have that, we must amend the things that are not going well. that this is a 2—party deal. look at what the farc

are doing in response to your effort to modify, also, the discussion you are having about extraditing to the united states aid farc commander who is actually supposed to be one of the lead negotiators who was a fundamental part of the peace agreement. you appear to be ready to extradite him to the united states and in response, farc leaders have gone back to the jungle. you are running the risk of reigniting this conflict. let me tell you something. he was captured during the sentence administration and what happened afterwards ? administration and what happened afterwards? president administration and what happened afterwards ? president sa ntos administration and what happened afterwards? president santos gave a speech to make speech on television with the attorney general and in front of the colombian people with my creditors, the attorney general said they had strong evidence that these people were still having narcotic trafficking operations after the agreement was signed. he was captured not by my

administration, he was captured by my predecessor. however, you are the quy my predecessor. however, you are the guy who will have to make the decision. i said in the agreement, it is very clear, but if you commit crimes after the signing of the agreement, you are not going to have any differentiated treatment. still has to go to ordinaryjustice and if the ordinary justice has to go to ordinaryjustice and if the ordinaryjustice puts the form on my desk, the signing of the extradition, it is my duty to do so. what do you think the chances are of columbia sinking back into a wall between the state and the farc? i do not see that happening because i said from the very first day of high administration, all the members of the farc, who have demobilised, were

going to give them support. we are going to give them support. we are going to give them support. we are going to help them find a debate dignity. we will give them psychological attendance. and we wa nt psychological attendance. and we want social investment to keep on going to the regions that have been did by violence. —— effected. going to the regions that have been did by violence. -- effected. the truth is, the most worrying violence is not actually coming from rebel groups and gorillas but from unknown militias, paramilitaries groups and gorillas but from unknown militias, pa ramilitaries and groups and gorillas but from unknown militias, paramilitaries and common criminals who are killing either hundreds community activists, social rights campaigners, particularly in rural areas. according to your ombudsman office in the state of columbia, more than 300 of these activists have been killed since 2016. that is not on your watch but what are you going to do about it?

actually, today, before i came to this interview, we had our meeting with institutions involved in protect think human rights in columbia —— protecting. in the weeks to come we can have a joint action first to prevent and then to sanction and investigate who is behind those crimes. what is the sickness in this country that allows human rights and social activist campaign is to be killed by the hundreds and, it has to be said, the inspector general has said that he believes the military and the police are collaborating with criminal gangs. what is going on? first of all, if there are people from the military and police involved, they should be investigated and brought to justice. you will do that? of course. and i also said, all night

to trafficking in the country, people who were also behind some of those crimes, are going to be attacked by us and they are going to be dissuaded and they are going to be dissuaded and they are going to be brought to justice be dissuaded and they are going to be brought tojustice but be dissuaded and they are going to be brought to justice but we are not going to allow in punitive in any crime in columbia and especially with any social league. isn't one of the structural and fundamental problems is that many of the poor, particularly in rural areas, look at a president such as yourself, from an elite family, like all of columbia's other presidents have been, and if they think to themselves, we are never go to get social justice from a themselves, we are never go to get socialjustice from a president like this. my story is different. i am not a person from the elite... your father was a former provincial governor. he was born in a rural

area and maybe his career working hard. we are from a middle—class family. my father and grandfather went to public education and we have a lwa ys went to public education and we have always worked and gathered all things by working. but your rinks with the previous president, you are young, you are successful but to the poor and the disadvantaged, are you saying you are their champion? my programme, the programme are used and built in the election, from the bottom to the top, was based on one principal— equality, socialjustice andi principal— equality, socialjustice and i have said that the day i took my office that this was never be the government of social justice my office that this was never be the government of socialjustice and i have to work hard across the social divide. the words of research at the

foundation for an ngo, he says the local elites, the big landowners, the big businessmen feel and powered by the election of a new right—wing government. first of all, i have a lwa ys government. first of all, i have always considered myself a centrist. the best way of putting this into the centre is that we have to have social equality and the only way to get social equality is to make this country have equal opportunity for people who have talent and creativity. to be able to generate jobs. and my goal and i will work very ha rd jobs. and my goal and i will work very hard for that, is to create the right environment so that we can have a middle—class expansion and put an end to extreme poverty. you

are the latest president to come into office declaring that you will ta ke into office declaring that you will take on the narco traffickers and conquer the drug problem and you say you are going to get tough and demand more eradication and go back to the aerial immigration and the use of pesticides to kill the crops but i put it to you that all of this tough talk has been heard before and it never, ever works in columbia. what we need to have is coherent in policy. coherence means to have a state policy. we reduce drugs from 1999 - 2012 to 50,000 state policy. we reduce drugs from 1999 — 2012 to 50,000 hectares. today we have more than 200,000. what is that we need to do? to have an integral programme to do with eradication and substitution but also to promote productive activities. what you are talking

about when it comes to specifically the growth of the cocaine train, you're about prohibition and getting tougher and tougher, working with the americans as well but there are many latin american leaders, mostly retired, forget about it, they say, prohibition will never work. you can talk about guatemala and mexico. all of them had concluded that this focus on prohibition is never going to work and the have to be more creative solutions. have you got one? if the world wants to put an end to prohibition, it has to be a global effort but what you cannot do is legalise in a country where the risk prohibition in the rest of the world. it is the only way that the debate can be sound and the solution can apply to everyone. for you the war on can apply to everyone. for you the waron drugs, can apply to everyone. for you the war on drugs, you just ramp it up?

what i said about drugs is we want to have a state free of drugs. we had to use an integral approach, we have to go to prevention, in the family, in the schools. we have to treat the people who are addicted in the right way. we have to make eradication and substitution and, at the same time, we have to use... it is coherent but it is not onlyjust coherent it is needed because when you see people in columbia from families that are vulnerable in terms of economic terms, if someone gets into the drug abuse, that family is going to have a tremendous problems to get out of that situation so that is why prevention, thejoint action of situation so that is why prevention, the joint action of substitution and eradication and at the same time getting to those persons in the

cocoa production, the possibility to have a productive activity are the kind of trigger points we want to put together. a final thought, thanks to columbia's latest constitution, you only have one term. for years to achieve everything you have talked about, including making peace, a lasting peace, including beating the drug lords and getting drugs and out of columbia, and, as you say, committing itself to economy. that is the most ambitious agenda. committing itself to economy. that is the most ambitious agendalj committing itself to economy. that is the most ambitious agenda. i have been working very hard and i am here with my programme every day and i am going to fulfil what i said in my programme because we want to deliver to the colombian people. i might not reach everything that i want but i will work hard to achieve it and

thatis will work hard to achieve it and that is why i was elected and that is why i will give the best of myself to serve the colombian people. president duque we must and they. thank you very much indeed. thank you. well, some noticeable changes to the weather to end the week. it's going to feel a lot cooler and fresher right across the board with sunshine and showers. in fact, it's going to feel pretty autumnal for some areas, particularly across the north and west. plenty of heavy showers around. this pretty cold air mass moving down from the north—west will be right across the country as we start friday morning. it really will be quite noticeable. feeding in plenty of showers into the north and the west of the country, but further south and east, with lengthy clear skies, it should stay generally dry here to start friday. much coolerfor all,

including the south—east. temperatures here starting off between nine and 12 degrees. so for friday itself, not looking too bad. we're start off with sunshine in southern and eastern areas, albeit rather chilly. lots of showers from the word go in the north and west, and these will become more widespread into the afternoon, especially in central and southern parts of the country, some will be heavy with hail and thunder mixed in as well. the wind arrows show a blustery day, any showers will be quite blustery when they arrive and because of the strength of the wind coming down from the north—west, it's going to feel pretty chilly, with temperatures ranging from 1a to 18 or 19 in the south—east. one or two spots could just make 20 degrees. for friday evening, those showers begin to ease down. a few still going across northern and western areas, but lengthy clear skies across northern, central and eastern areas mean it's going to be a really chilly one for all, especially scotland and north—east england and in sheltered spots, we could see temperatures down to near freezing. now, as we head on into saturday,

it looks like this ridge of high pressure will nudge in from the west and what that will do is it will push the area of low pressure away and ease the shower development down. looking like saturday should be a drier day for most of us. there will be more in the way of sunshine and showers. still a few going in northern and western areas and a few good travel through the cheshire gap into the midlands, but temperature—wise, similar to friday's, 1a to maybe 20 degrees, but with more sunshine around, it could feel a little bit more pleasant. on sunday, big changes again, the next area of low pressure moves in from the atlantic, it looks like it's going to arrive quite early. a really chilly and maybe a bright start in eastern areas before this area of low pressure brings wet and windy weather to most areas, spreading eastwards as the day wears on. some of this rain could be heavy, particularly across western hills. the skies will brighten in northern ireland later in the day and because of the cloud, wind and rain it could feel pretty chilly with temperatures in the mid—to—high teens cesius at best. for most of us, it's going to be a bank holiday on monday, and it's looking a little better with more in the way of sunshine

and feeling a bit warmer in the south. welcome to bbc news — broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: a year after thousands of rohingya refugees were forced from their homes in myanmar, we have a special report on the risks for the children now growing up in overcrowded camps in bangladesh. a typically brash claim from the us president — but why is he suddenly using that word, impeachment? i don't know how you can impeach and somebody who's done a greatjob. i'll tell you what, if i ever got impeached, i think the market would crash. australia's prime minister malcolm turnbull may have just hours left in hisjob. he's expected to hear shortly that he doesn't have the support he needs to go on. he is expected to resign shortly. the authorities in hawaii warn of a testing few days

despite the downgrading of hurricane lane. this is notjust going to be over in the next 2a hours,