Colombia's Leader Says Trump Acts on "Complete Misinformation"
The confrontation intensified after Trump warned Petro that he "will be next" amid ongoing friction with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Trump—who has consistently attacked Petro by calling him an "illegal drug dealer"—sharpened his tone Wednesday. He cautioned that Colombia's president "is going to have himself some big problems if he doesn't wise up" while alleging the nation runs "cocaine factories" shipping narcotics straight into American territory.
In a detailed rebuttal posted on X, the social platform, Petro described Trump as "a man very misinformed about Colombia." He argued the statements reflect "disrespect toward a democratically elected president" and Colombia itself.
"It's a shame, because he dismisses the country that knows the most about cocaine trafficking," Petro wrote. "It seems his advisers deceive him completely."
Petro also challenged Washington's Venezuela policy, arguing the nation faces a "lack of democracy, not narcotics" crisis. He detailed his two-year collaboration with former President Joe Biden developing a peaceful Venezuela strategy featuring provisional governance followed by open elections.
He cautioned that American military intervention in Venezuela "would burn all of South America, including Colombia," threatening regional democratic partnerships.
Since early September, American military forces have intensified operations against suspected trafficking craft across Caribbean and Eastern Pacific waters, executing 22 documented strikes that left at least 87 dead. Trump additionally acknowledged capturing a Venezuelan petroleum vessel near the country's coastline as the offensive expands.
Petro dismissed Trump's claim that missile attacks on small watercraft represent successful counter-narcotics strategy, noting vessel crews are "poor people" while major cartel figures reside internationally "on yachts near Dubai or in Madrid."
Colombia's president highlighted his government's execution of over 1,446 ground operations targeting criminal syndicates and 13 aerial bombardments against cartel leadership—many conducted alongside U.S. intelligence partnerships.
Petro stated the Caribbean no longer serves as cocaine's main transit corridor, with shipments now predominantly traveling via Pacific waters and Amazon territories. He stressed the necessity for synchronized port security and ocean surveillance with American support, including accelerated production of monitoring craft in Colombian naval facilities.
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