"While many other world leaders have flattered or bowed down to Trump, Petro has gone out of his way to defy the American president. The Colombian leader has lambasted Trump on everything from his lethal strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific, to his support for Israel's invasion of Gaza. For his part, Trump has accused his Colombian counterpart of flooding the U.S. with cocaine and at one point hinted that he could be targeted by the U.S. military."
"Their first clash came shortly after Trump was sworn in for his second term in January 2025 when Petro refused to accept U.S. military flights bringing undocumented immigrants back to Colombia. Trump responded by threatening a devastating trade war with Colombia, and Petro was forced to retreat. Trump then mercilessly mocked Petro, telling an audience: "Remember, Colombia said: 'We will not take them back!' And within about 13 minutes, I think, (Colombia said) 'We would love to take them back.'""
"In his most provocative move Petro, who was attending the U.N. General Assembly last September, took to the streets of New York with a bullhorn to publicly urge American soldiers to disobey Trump. That prompted Washington to revoke Petro's U.S. visa and to place financial sanctions on him, his wife, and his interior minister. "Petro is trying to rally the world to oppose Donald Trump, or at least to resist him."
President Trump will host Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the White House despite a history of public confrontations. Petro has openly defied Trump, criticizing U.S. lethal strikes on alleged drug boats and U.S. support for Israel's Gaza campaign. Trump has accused Petro of flooding the United States with cocaine and once suggested Petro could be a military target. Tensions escalated when Petro refused to accept U.S. flights returning undocumented migrants, prompting Trump to threaten a trade war that forced a Colombian retreat. Petro publicly urged U.S. soldiers to disobey Trump in New York, provoking visa revocation and financial sanctions on him and close associates.
Read at www.npr.org
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