Colombian President Gustavo Petro has dismissed as reckless and defamatory threats issued by United States President Donald Trump, who accused him of links to drug trafficking and hinted at possible military action against Colombia.
Trump’s remarks came a day after US forces carried out a surprise military operation in Caracas, targeting strategic sites in what Washington described as a bid to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and reassert control over the oil-rich nation.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump widened his rhetoric to include Colombia, describing the country as “very sick” and alleging it was being run by “a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States.”
He further claimed, without evidence, that Petro operated cocaine facilities and would soon be stopped.
When asked whether Colombia could face a similar intervention to Venezuela, Trump said such an option “sounds good,” alleging that people were being killed in large numbers.
Petro swiftly rejected the accusations, insisting his record was clean and verifiable.
“My name does not appear in court records. Stop slandering me, Mr Trump,” he wrote on the social media platform X.
He added that such language was not how a Latin American leader, elected after years of armed struggle and peace advocacy, should be addressed.
The Colombian leader has been openly critical of Washington’s recent military actions in the region, accusing the United States of abducting Maduro “without legal basis.” In a subsequent post, Petro declared: “Friends do not bomb.”
Colombia’s foreign ministry also weighed in, describing Trump’s comments as “unacceptable interference” and demanding respect for the country’s sovereignty.
Although Colombia and the United States remain key military and economic partners in the region, recent exchanges have further strained relations between the two allies.