Trump Calls Colombian President Petro a “Drug Leader,” Halts U.S. Aid Amid Rising Tensions

U.S.-Colombian relations have hit a new low after President Donald Trump accused Colombian President Gustavo Petro of being an “illegal drug leader.” In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump claimed Petro was promoting mass drug production across Colombia for export to the United States, vowing to end all major payments and subsidies to the South American nation.

The statement follows heightened tensions between Washington and Bogotá since Trump’s return to office in January. The U.S. administration recently launched several military strikes on vessels allegedly linked to drug trafficking in the Caribbean. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on X that U.S. forces destroyed a vessel associated with Colombia’s National Liberation Army, killing three people. The Pentagon declined further comment.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, confirmed that new tariffs on Colombia are imminent. Currently, the country faces a 10% import tariff—Trump’s standard rate for many nations.

Colombia’s Foreign Ministry condemned Trump’s remarks as “offensive” and a “direct threat” to national sovereignty. The government vowed to seek international support to defend President Petro and the nation’s dignity. “These accusations are extremely serious and undermine the dignity of the president of Colombians,” the ministry said.

Petro fired back on X, calling Trump “rude and ignorant,” denying any involvement in drug trafficking. “Since I am not a businessman, I am even less a drug trafficker. There is no greed in my heart,” he wrote.

Relations worsened last month after the U.S. revoked Petro’s visa following his participation in a pro-Palestinian protest in New York. Trump’s aggressive counternarcotics policy, including recent deadly strikes in the Caribbean, has sparked outrage among Colombians and human rights organizations, with Amnesty International condemning the actions as “murder on the high seas.”