Petro pushes back after Trump floats possible U.S. action against Colombia

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has firmly rejected comments by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting Colombia could be targeted in a future U.S. military operation, calling the remarks defamatory and an unacceptable threat to his country’s sovereignty.

Trump made the comments over the weekend while speaking to reporters, days after U.S. forces carried out a dramatic operation in Venezuela that led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro. Asked whether a similar operation could be carried out elsewhere in the region, Trump said Colombia was “very sick too” and repeated long-standing claims linking the country to cocaine production.

In response, Petro wrote on social media platform X that Trump should “stop slandering” him, stressing that he has never been accused or convicted in any drug-related case. Petro said Colombia is a sovereign nation and warned that threats and public accusations undermine diplomatic relations.

Colombia’s foreign ministry also issued a statement condemning the remarks, saying they amounted to interference in internal affairs and risked damaging decades of cooperation between the two countries. The ministry reiterated Colombia’s commitment to fighting drug trafficking but said such efforts must be based on mutual respect and international law.

The exchange comes amid heightened tensions in Latin America following the U.S. operation in Venezuela, which drew mixed reactions across the region. Several governments have expressed concern that Washington’s increasingly aggressive posture could destabilize neighboring countries.

Colombia has long been a key U.S. ally in the fight against narcotics, though relations have been strained under Petro, a former guerrilla and outspoken critic of Washington’s traditional drug war policies. Analysts say the latest dispute could further complicate ties unless both sides move to calm tensions and refocus on diplomatic engagement.