"The United States will slash assistance to Colombia and enact tariffs on its exports because the country's leader, Gustavo Petro, "does nothing to stop" drug production, President Donald Trump said Sunday, escalating the friction between Washington and one of its closest allies in Latin America. In a social media post, Trump referred to Petro as "an illegal drug leader" who is "low rated and very unpopular." The Republican president warned that Petro "better close up" drug operations "or the United States will close them up for him, and it won't be done nicely.""
"Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also announced the latest U.S. strike on a vessel that was allegedly carrying "substantial amounts of narcotics." He said the vessel was associated with a Colombian rebel group - the National Liberation Army, or ELN - that has been in conflict with Petro's government. He did not provide any evidence for his assertions, but he shared a brief video clip of a boat engulfed in flames after an explosion on Friday."
"Petro, who can be as vocal on social media as his American counterpart, rejected Trump's accusations and defended his work to fight narcotics in Colombia, the world's largest exporter of cocaine. "Trying to promote peace in Colombia is not being a drug trafficker," Petro wrote. He suggested that Trump was being deceived by his advisers, described himself as "the main enemy" of drugs in his country and said Trump was being "rude and ignorant toward Colombia." The Colombian Foreign Ministry described Trump's statement as a "direct threat to national sovereignty by proposing an illegal intervention in Colombian territory.""
President Donald Trump announced cuts in U.S. assistance to Colombia and said tariffs will be imposed, accusing President Gustavo Petro of doing nothing to stop drug production. Trump called Petro "an illegal drug leader," labeled him unpopular, and warned that the United States might act to close drug operations itself. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reported a U.S. strike on a vessel allegedly carrying substantial narcotics and linked it to the ELN, while providing no evidence beyond a brief video clip. Petro rejected the accusations, defended his anti-narcotics efforts, and Colombia's Foreign Ministry called the remarks a threat to sovereignty.
Read at ABC7 Los Angeles
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