U.S. President Donald J. Trump has accused Colombian President Gustavo Petro of facilitating large-scale drug production across Colombia and announced an immediate suspension of all American aid to the South American nation.
In a social media post on Sunday, Trump described Petro as “an illegal drug dealer” and “a low-rated, very unpopular leader,” claiming that Colombia’s booming narcotics industry poses a major threat to the United States.
“President Gustavo Petro of Colombia is an illegal drug leader strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs in big and small fields all over Colombia,” Trump wrote.
“It has become the country’s biggest business by far, and Petro does nothing to stop it, despite large-scale payments and subsidies from the USA. As of today, these payments or any other form of subsidies will no longer be made to Colombia.”
Trump further warned that if Bogotá failed to dismantle drug farms, Washington would “close them up” through direct intervention.
“The purpose of this drug production is the sale of massive amounts into the United States, causing death, destruction, and havoc,” he said. “Petro better close up these killing fields immediately, or the United States will close them up for him — and it won’t be done nicely.”
The remarks follow a recent exchange of accusations between the two governments. Earlier on Sunday, President Petro accused the United States of carrying out an “assassination operation” after an American airstrike in Caribbean waters reportedly killed several people.
Washington later confirmed it was repatriating two survivors of the strike to Colombia and Ecuador, describing the operation as part of ongoing efforts against international drug traffickers. It was the sixth such strike since early September, with at least 29 people reported dead.
In September, the Trump administration criticized Colombia for “insufficient cooperation” in the global war on drugs but stopped short of imposing sanctions at the time.
Colombia remains the world’s largest exporter of cocaine, with coca cultivation — the base ingredient for cocaine — hitting record highs last year, according to the United Nations.
More recently, the U.S. State Department revoked Petro’s visa during his visit to New York for the UN General Assembly, following his reported participation in a protest where he allegedly urged American soldiers to disobey President Trump’s orders.
