"The United States Department of the Treasury has slapped sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, his family and the South American country's interior minister, Armando Benedetti. Friday's decision marks a significant escalation in the ongoing feud between the left-wing Petro and his US counterpart, the right-wing Donald Trump. In a statement, the US Treasury accused Petro of failing to rein in Colombia's cocaine industry and of shielding criminal groups from accountability."
"The Treasury cited Petro's Total Peace plan, an initiative designed to bring Colombia's six-decade-long internal conflict to an end through negotiations with armed rebels and criminal organisations. Since President Gustavo Petro came to power, cocaine production in Colombia has exploded to the highest rate in decades, flooding the United States and poisoning Americans, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement."
"Petro, a prolific social media user, quickly shot back that the Treasury's decision was the culmination of longstanding Republican threats, including from US Senator Bernie Moreno, a critic of his presidency. Bernie Moreno's threat has indeed been fulfilled, Petro wrote on the social media platform X. My wife, my children, and I have been placed on the OFAC [Office of Foreign Assets Control] list."
The US Department of the Treasury placed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, his family, and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, escalating tensions with the United States. The Treasury accused Petro of failing to rein in Colombia's cocaine industry and shielding criminal groups, citing his Total Peace plan that seeks negotiated settlements with armed rebels and criminal organizations. US officials said cocaine production reached decades-high levels, flooding the United States and poisoning Americans. Petro denied the accusations, called the sanctions fulfillment of prior Republican threats, vowed legal challenges in US courts, and pledged not to back down amid clashes over immigration, drug policy and US strikes on boats.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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