PALM BEACH, The United States will slash assistance to Colombia because its leader, Gustavo Petro, &ldquo;does nothing to stop&rdquo; drug production, President Donald Trump said Sunday, escalating the friction between Washington and one of its closest allies in Latin America. In a social media post, Trump referred to Petro as &ldquo;an illegal drug leader&rdquo; who is &ldquo;low-rated and very unpopular.&rdquo; The Republican president warned that Petro &ldquo;better close up drug operations or the United States will close them up for him, and it won&rsquo;t be done nicely.&rdquo; Hours later, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the latest US strike on a vessel that was allegedly carrying &ldquo;substantial amounts of narcotics.&rdquo; He said the vessel was associated with a Colombian rebel group &mdash; the National Liberation Army, or ELN &mdash; that has conflicted with Petro&rsquo;s government. He did not provide any evidence for his assertions, but he shared a brief video clip of a boat engulfed in flames after an explosion on Friday. Petro, who can be as vocal on social media as his American counterpart, rejected Trump&rsquo;s accusations and defended his work to fight narcotics in Colombia, the world&rsquo;s largest exporter of cocaine. &ldquo;Trying to promote peace in Colombia is not being a drug trafficker,&rdquo; Petro wrote. He suggested that Trump was being deceived by his advisers, described himself as &ldquo;the main enemy&rdquo; of drugs in his country, and said Trump was being &ldquo;rude and ignorant toward Colombia.&rdquo; The Colombian foreign ministry described Trump&rsquo;s statement as a &ldquo;direct threat to national sovereignty by proposing an illegal intervention in Colombian territory.&rdquo; Defense Minister Pedro S&aacute;nchez told reporters that the country &ldquo;has used all its capability and also lost men and women fighting drug trafficking.&rdquo; US pressure increasing &nbsp;Trump&rsquo;s latest broadside against Petro raises the possibility of an expanding clash in Latin America, where the US has already increased pressure on neighboring Venezuela and its leader, Nicol&aacute;s Maduro. American naval ships, fighter jets, and drones are deployed in the region for what the administration has described as an &ldquo;armed conflict&rdquo; with drug cartels. Trump also authorized covert operations inside Venezuela. Unlike Venezuela, Colombia is a longtime US ally and the top recipient of American assistance in the region. But coca cultivation reached an all-time high last year, according to the United Nations, and there has been fresh violence in rural areas where the government spent years battling insurgents before reaching a peace deal a decade ago. In September, the Trump administration accused Colombia of failing to cooperate in the drug war, although at the time Washington issued a waiver of sanctions that would have triggered aid cuts. Colombia received an estimated $230 million in the US budget year that ended Sept. 30, a drop from recent years that exceeded $700 million, according to US figures. Petro, Trump at loggerheadsPetro, Colombia&rsquo;s first leftist president, has repeatedly feuded with Trump this year. Petro initially rejected US military flights of deported migrants, leading Trump to threaten tariffs. The State Department said it would revoke Petro&rsquo;s visa when he attended the UN General Assembly in New York because he told American soldiers to disobey Trump&rsquo;s orders. Petro and Trump have also been at odds over American strikes on boats in the Caribbean. On Sunday, Petro accused the US government of assassination, pointing to a Sept. 16 strike that he said killed a Colombian man named Alejandro Carranza. Petro said Carranza was a fisherman with no ties to drug trafficking, and his boat was malfunctioning when it was hit. &ldquo;The United States has invaded our national territory, fired a missile to kill a humble fisherman, and destroyed his family, his children. This is Bol&iacute;var&rsquo;s homeland, and they are murdering his children with bombs,&rdquo; Petro wrote on social media. He said that he asked his country&rsquo;s attorney general&rsquo;s office to initiate legal proceedings internationally and in US courts. The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Petro&rsquo;s accusations. Despite Petro&rsquo;s criticism, his government plans to prosecute the Colombian survivor of a more recent US strike on a submersible that was allegedly carrying drugs. Another survivor was repatriated to Ecuador, where the Ministry of the Interior said he would not face charges after prosecutors met with him and determined that he had not committed any crimes within the country&rsquo;s borders. ELN denies role in drug traffickingThe ELN, which Hegseth said was the target of Friday&rsquo;s strike, has long denied any role in drug trafficking and offered to submit to the scrutiny of an international commission. It did not respond to Hegseth&#39;s announcement. Colombian authorities regularly report the dismantling of cocaine laboratories and the seizure of drugs believed to belong to the guerrillas. There have been seven US strikes in the region since early September that the administration says are targeting alleged drug traffickers. At least 32 people have been killed. Trump said Sunday that Petro had &ldquo;a fresh mouth toward America.&rdquo; He complained that drug smuggling continues &ldquo;despite large-scale payments and subsidies from the USA that are nothing more than a long-term rip off of America.&rdquo; &ldquo;AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT, OR SUBSIDIES, WILL NO LONGER BE MADE TO COLOMBIA,&rdquo; he added. Feud could have &quot;catastrophic effects&quot; Elizabeth Dickinson, senior analyst for the Andes region at International Crisis Group, said, &ldquo;It is befuddling and profoundly unwise of the United States to alienate its strongest military partner in Latin America at a moment when tension between Washington and Venezuela is at its highest point in recent years.&rdquo; She said Washington and Bogota have long treated their relationship as foundational, but &ldquo;that wisdom is being thrown out the window, with really catastrophic effects.&rdquo; Colombia lost significant US funding when Trump slashed the US Agency for International Development earlier this year. More cuts could affect military cooperation and undermine efforts to fight rebel groups. &ldquo;If that is cut, we will see a strategic loss of capability for the Colombian military and police at precisely the moment when they&rsquo;re confronting the greatest security crisis in Colombia for over a decade,&rdquo; she said.

Americas

Donald Trump said the US will cut aid to Colombia, calling President Gustavo Petro a 'drug leader' who fails to curb cocaine production. Petro condemned Trump’s remarks as a threat to Colombian sovereignty and 'rude ignorance.'

Trump calls Petro ‘illegal drug leader’, terminates US aid to Colombia

BOGOTA: Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Saturday that the United States had violated Colombia&#39;s sovereignty over its waters and killed a fisherman during its recent anti-drug-trafficking military campaign in the Caribbean. &quot;US government officials have committed murder and violated our sovereignty in our territorial waters. Fisherman Alejandro Carranza had no ties to drug traffickers and his daily activity was fishing,&quot; the leftist leader said on social media platform X. Carranza was reportedly killed in a September strike by US forces on his boat while he was fishing the Caribbean, according to video testimony of his family members shared by the president on X.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused the U.S. of violating Colombia’s sovereignty and killing a fisherman, Alejandro Carranza, during an anti-drug operation in the Caribbean, saying Carranza was innocent and unaffiliated with drug traffickers

Colombia president says US violated sovereignty, killed fisherman in earlier strike

Web Desk

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ISLAMABAD: Colombian President Gustavo Petro dismissed the United States&rsquo; decision to revoke his visa, accusing Washington of violating international law after he joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York during the United Nations General Assembly.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;I no longer have a visa to travel to the United States. I don&rsquo;t care. I don&rsquo;t need a visa &hellip; because I&rsquo;m not only a Colombian citizen but a European citizen, and I truly consider myself a free person in the world,&rdquo; Petro said on social media Saturday.<div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-7" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-7&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1971880485383995779&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=0e34ea0d68b5f9c82a1f60f0354db691f7ddf631&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="width: 100%; height: 100%; min-height: 0px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The US State Department said on X it would revoke Petro&rsquo;s visa &ldquo;due to his reckless and incendiary actions.&rdquo;&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Petro had marched alongside pro-Palestinian protesters outside UN headquarters on Thursday, where he urged US soldiers &ldquo;not to point their guns at people. Disobey the orders of Trump. Obey the orders of humanity,&rdquo; Reuters reported.<h3 style="line-height: 2; margin-top: 14pt; margin-bottom: 4pt;"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Petro defends his stance <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Petro argued that revoking his visa &ldquo;for denouncing genocide shows the US no longer respects international law&rdquo; on social media platform X.</h3><div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-8" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-8&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1971856370681934076&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=0e34ea0d68b5f9c82a1f60f0354db691f7ddf631&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="width: 100%; height: 100%; min-height: 0px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div></div><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A UN inquiry, earlier past month, concluded that Israel&rsquo;s military campaign in Gaza amounts to genocide.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">According to Palestinian authorities, 65,000 people have been killed in the enclave and the entire population has been displaced since the conflict began, while Israel cites the October 2023 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages, Reuters reported.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Colombia&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the United States&#39; decision, saying that using visa revocation as a diplomatic weapon goes against the spirit of the United Nations, which protects freedom of expression and guarantees independence of member states.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It also suggested the UN should consider a &ldquo;completely neutral host country&rdquo; able to issue its own entry authorizations.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-9" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-9&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1971971304392667361&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=0e34ea0d68b5f9c82a1f60f0354db691f7ddf631&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="width: 550px; height: 863px; min-height: 0px; position: static; visibility: visible;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div></div><h3 style="line-height: 2; margin-top: 14pt; margin-bottom: 4pt;"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">US-Colombia tensions grow</h3><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The move marks another flashpoint in already strained relations between Bogot&aacute; and Washington since Donald Trump&rsquo;s return to the US presidency.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reuters reported that earlier this year, Petro blocked deportation flights from the United States, prompting tariff and sanctions threats before a deal was reached.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In July, both countries recalled their ambassadors after Petro accused US officials of plotting a coup, a claim Washington rejected as baseless, British media reports.<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tensions have also extended to the Middle East. Petro severed diplomatic ties with Israel in 2024 and banned Colombian coal exports to the country.

President of Colombia Gustavo Petro Urrego addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at U.N. headquarters.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro dismissed the United States’ decision to revoke his visa, accusing Washington of violating international law after he joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York during the United Nations General Assembly.

Articles tagged with "Colombian President Gustavo Petro"

Trump calls Petro ‘illegal drug leader’, terminates US aid to Colombia

Colombia president says US violated sovereignty, killed fisherman in earlier strike

Colombian President says US decision to revoke visa violates international law