Earlier, Trump called Colombian President Gustavo Petro “illegal drug kingpin“, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reported that U.S. forces attacked a unit linked to a Colombian rebel group. Petro rejected the allegations, saying “the boat belonged to a humble family, not to rebels”and his government found Trump's words “offensive.”
As Reuters writes, relations between Washington and Bogota have reached their lowest level in a long time. Trump accused Colombia of complicity in the illegal drug trade:
“They don't fight drugs – they produce them.” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Petro, in turn, condemned the US raids on ships in the Caribbean that killed dozens of people, describing them as “act of violence against civilians”. Lawyers and human rights defenders also criticize these actions.
Trump announced that details of the new tariffs will be announced on Mondayadding:
USA-Colombia. Relationships at rock bottom
However, it is not known what measures the president meant. Colombia was once one of the largest beneficiaries of US aid in the region, but its flow was drastically reduced after the closure of USAID. Currently, most Colombian goods are covered 10% customs dutywhich is the base rate introduced by the Trump administration.
The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it would appeal to the international community for support. The statement emphasized that “Trump's accusations constitute an extremely serious act that undermines the dignity of the President of Colombia.”.
Another attack and growing tensions
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote on the X platform that the Pentagon destroyed a vessel and killed three people in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility, including the Caribbean. He said the ship was linked to the left-wing guerrilla group ELN (National Liberation Army) and was involved in drug smuggling – without providing evidence. The Pentagon did not comment further on the matter.
President Petro strongly condemned the attack:
“Mr. Trump, Colombia has never been rude to the United States… but you are arrogant towards us and ignore reality. I am not a businessman, much less a drug dealer. There is no greed in my heart.” — wrote Petro on X.
This is not the first time the Trump administration has taken action against Colombia. Last month the USA they revoked Petro's visa after he took part in a pro-Ukrainian demonstration in New York and called on American soldiers to disobey the president's orders.
Meanwhile, Colombia continues to grapple with its own drug problem. In 2024, Petro announced a major social and military offensive in coca-growing regions, however the strategy produced little results.
In September, Trump again listed Colombia among the countries that the U.S. saidhave grossly failed to deliver on their anti-drug commitments“, alongside Afghanistan, Venezuela, Burma and Bolivia.
