Colombian President Gustavo Petro strongly rejected accusations and threats from US President Donald Trump, who claimed Petro was involved in drug trafficking. The remarks came shortly after US forces carried out a raid in Caracas, targeting Venezuelan military sites in an attempt to remove President Nicolas Maduro from power.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump described Colombia as “very sick” and accused its leadership of running cocaine operations, suggesting that military intervention could be justified. He further stated, without evidence, that Colombian authorities were responsible for killing many people and implied that action similar to the Venezuelan operation “sounds good” to him.
Petro responded firmly on social media, stating that his name does not appear in any court records and calling the accusations slanderous. He emphasized that threatening a Latin American president who rose from armed struggle and popular support for peace was unacceptable.
The Colombian leader also criticized the US military operation in Venezuela, denouncing it as an illegal abduction of Maduro and highlighting his opposition to foreign intervention in the region. Petro’s rebuttal underscores tensions between Colombia and the Trump administration amid escalating US involvement in South American affairs.
