Colombian President Gustavo Petro has strongly rejected threats made by United States President Donald Trump, who accused him of involvement in drug trafficking and suggested possible military action against Colombia.
Petro’s response followed remarks by Trump during a conversation with reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, in which the US president described Colombia as “very sick” and alleged—without evidence—that its leader was involved in cocaine production and export to the United States.
Trump further implied that Colombia could face military action similar to recent US operations in Venezuela, stating that such an intervention “sounds good” to him, while accusing the country of being responsible for widespread violence.
In a swift reaction, President Petro dismissed the allegations and called on Trump to stop making defamatory statements.
“Stop slandering me, Mr Trump,” Petro said in a post on social media platform X, stressing that his name does not appear in any court records.
Petro also criticised the US military operation in Venezuela, describing the removal of President Nicolás Maduro as an abduction carried out without legal justification. He warned against the use of force in international relations, adding in a later post that “friends do not bomb.”
Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Trump’s comments, describing them as “unacceptable interference” in the affairs of a sovereign nation and demanding respect for Colombia’s leadership.
Although Colombia and the United States have long been close military and economic partners, relations between both countries have deteriorated in recent months. Since the beginning of Trump’s second term, the two leaders have clashed repeatedly over issues including trade tariffs, migration policies, and regional security.
The latest exchange has further heightened tensions in Latin America amid growing concern over Washington’s increasingly aggressive foreign policy posture in the region.
