Colombian President Gustavo Petro made a defiant public challenge to Donald Trump after a U.S. military operation in Venezuela that captured Nicolás Maduro and heightened tensions across the region. Petro taunted Trump with a statement like “come get me, I’m waiting for you here,” directly responding to threats implied by Trump that similar action might be considered against Colombia. Petro strongly criticized the U.S. action in Venezuela as a violation of sovereignty and warned that any attempt to detain or attack Colombia’s president would likely trigger widespread unrest and potentially reignite armed resistance within Colombia.
Trump has accused Petro of being involved in drug trafficking and disparaged his leadership, suggesting Colombia could be a future target in U.S. anti‑drug efforts, though these claims have not been legally substantiated. Colombia’s government rejected threats and the use of force, emphasizing its preference for diplomacy, cooperation and respect between nations, and condemned the insults and aggressive rhetoric as unacceptable. Petro also warned that military action in the region could have devastating consequences, including civilian casualties and civil conflict, and called for peaceful dialogue and resistance to foreign intervention.
