Trump Calls Colombian President Petro a "Drug Leader", Cuts Aid Amid Rising Tensions:

In a fiery post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump accused Petro of promoting drug production across Colombia and claimed the Colombian leader was “encouraging the massive production of drugs” destined for the U.S. He repeatedly misspelled Colombia as “Columbia” and referred to Petro as a “low-rated and very unpopular” leader. “He better close up drug operations or the U.S. will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely,” Trump warned. He described U.S. subsidies to Colombia as a "rip-off" and announced, in all caps: “AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT, OR SUBSIDIES, WILL NO LONGER BE MADE.” It remains unclear which specific payments or aid packages Trump was referring to. Shortly after Trump’s comments, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the Pentagon had destroyed a vessel in the USSOUTHCOM (U.S. Southern Command) region on Friday. He claimed the targeted vessel was linked to Colombia’s leftist rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), and was involved in narcotics trafficking. Three people were reportedly killed in the attack, but no evidence was provided to support the claims. Colombia Responds: "Trump is Rude and Ignorant" President Gustavo Petro hit back strongly on X, saying, “Colombia has never been rude to the United States. To the contrary, it has loved its culture very much. But you are rude and ignorant about Colombia.” Colombia’s Foreign Ministry issued a formal statement condemning Trump’s remarks as offensive and a direct threat to Colombia’s sovereignty. The ministry vowed to seek international support to defend President Petro and the country’s autonomy. “These accusations represent an extremely serious act and undermine the dignity of the president of Colombians,” the ministry stated. Rising Tensions and Deadly Strikes in the Caribbean In a further escalation, Petro accused the Trump administration of carrying out military strikes that killed Colombian civilians. He highlighted a recent U.S. Navy attack on a semi-submersible vessel in Caribbean waters, which Petro claimed resulted in the death of a Colombian fisherman, Alejandro Carranza, who had no ties to drug trafficking. According to Petro, the fishing boat was adrift and signaling distress when it was struck. “The United States has invaded our national territory, fired a missile to kill a humble fisherman, and destroyed his family,” he said. The U.S. military has conducted six such strikes since early September, killing at least 29 people, according to official sources. Legal experts and human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have raised serious concerns, calling the actions “murder on the high seas.” Strained US-Colombia Relations Under Trump Relations between Washington and Bogotá have deteriorated significantly since Trump returned to power. Last month, Trump’s administration accused Colombia of failing to support U.S. anti-drug efforts, though sanctions were temporarily waived. The U.S. also revoked President Petro’s visa after he joined a pro-Palestinian protest in New York, during which he called on U.S. soldiers to disobey Trump’s orders. As tensions grow, Petro has called for international legal action against the U.S., accusing Trump’s administration of violating Colombian sovereignty and committing murder.

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