In a sharp escalation of tensions between the United States and Colombia, former President Donald Trump announced on Sunday his intention to slash U.S. funding to the South American nation, accusing Colombian President Gustavo Petro of failing to curb drug production. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, labeled Petro as “an illegal drug dealer” and criticized him as “low rated and very unpopular.” He warned that if Petro does not act to shut down drug operations, the U.S. would intervene, albeit in a manner that “won’t be done nicely.” Trump also misspelled Colombia as “Columbia” in his initial post, which he later corrected. Colombia’s Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez defended the country’s efforts, stating that Colombia has “used all its capabilities” and sacrificed lives in the fight against drug trafficking. Trump’s remarks come amid growing friction between the two nations, with the U.S. recently conducting military strikes targeting alleged drug traffickers in Colombian waters. Earlier, Petro accused the U.S. of assassination following a strike that killed a Colombian fisherman, Alejandro Carranza, whom Petro claimed had no ties to drug trafficking. The U.S. has repatriated survivors of recent strikes, including an Ecuadorian man, Andrés Fernando Tufiño Chila, who was found to be in good health. Meanwhile, Colombia remains the world’s largest exporter of cocaine, with coca cultivation reaching record levels last year, according to the United Nations.
Trump calls Colombia’s Petro an ‘illegal drug dealer’ and announces an end to US aid to the country
