Trump accuses Petro of drug trafficking links and threatens Colombia
US President says Gustavo Petro encourages drug production and affirms that Washington will no longer send subsidies to the South American country.
247 - US President Donald Trump published a direct attack on Gustavo Petro on his Truth Social network on Sunday (19), accusing the Colombian president of being a “drug trafficking leader”.
"It strongly encourages the mass production of narcotics, in large and small fields throughout Colombia. This has become by far the biggest business in the country, and Petro does nothing to stop it, despite the large payments and subsidies coming from the United States — which are nothing more than a long-term scam against America," Trump stated.
"From today onwards, these payments, or any other form of payment or subsidy, will no longer be made to Colombia. The objective of this drug production is the sale of massive quantities of the product to the United States, causing death, destruction, and chaos. Petro, a poorly rated and very unpopular leader who has a sharp tongue towards America, had better shut down these killing fields immediately—or the United States will shut them down for him, and not in a pleasant way."
Diplomatic escalation and Latin America
The statements heightened tensions between Washington and Bogotá. Trump did not specify which cooperation programs or amounts would be cut. He also did not say how the US might intervene in foreign territory to shut down drug crops.
The threats against Colombia are not being made public and are part of an offensive by the Trump administration, aimed at interfering in the sovereignty of Latin American countries.
President Trump has deployed more than 10 troops to the Caribbean region near the Venezuelan coast. The U.S. claims the measure is necessary to combat narcoterrorism and has announced a reward of up to $50 million (approximately R$270 million) for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The US president confirmed that he asked US spy agency, the CIA...to carry out operations in Venezuela to overthrow Nicolás Maduro. The Venezuelan president announced that the country... fully activated its defense plan. in the face of "threats" from the United States.
