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Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro on Sunday dismissed threats made by US President Donald Trump, who accused him of involvement in drug trafficking and hinted at possible military action against Colombia.
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The remarks came in the wake of Washington’s surprise military operation in Venezuela on Saturday, which removed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro from power. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump described Colombia as “very sick” and claimed it was “run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States.”
He added, without presenting evidence, that Petro “has cocaine mills and cocaine factories” and said military intervention “sounds good to me” because, in Trump’s words, “they kill a lot of people.”
Petro strongly rejected the allegations, saying his “name does not appear in court records” and posting on social media platform X: “Stop slandering me, Mr. Trump.” He criticized the US president’s threats, emphasizing that Colombia’s peace process stems from the people’s struggle and that friends “do not bomb.”
🚨HOLY COW: Colombian President Gustavo Petro just went after Trump:
“A clan of pedophiles wants to destroy our democracy. To keep Epstein’s list from coming out, they send warships to kill fishermen & threaten our neighbor with invasion for their oil.”
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) January 4, 2026
Colombia’s foreign ministry described Trump’s comments as “unacceptable interference” and demanded respect for the country’s sovereignty. Relations between the US and Colombia, historically strong in trade and security cooperation, have grown tense since the start of Trump’s second term, with clashes over migration and tariffs.
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Petro has also sharply criticized the military action in Venezuela, calling the abduction of Maduro “without legal basis” and a breach of regional norms. Analysts say the escalating rhetoric underscores the challenges faced by Latin American leaders in maintaining sovereignty amid US interventions in the region.