Latin American leader warns: 'This is what will happen if the US is not able to rethink its relations'

Pressure from the United States on Latin American leaders who disagree with Washington could lead to a “rebellion” against American influence, Colombian President Gustavo Petro warned in an interview with the Spanish publication El País published on Saturday and quoted by Reuters.

Petro, a former member of the left-wing guerrilla group M-19, has frequently clashed with President Donald Trump. His administration included the Colombian leader on a sanctions list drawn up by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, accusing him of involvement in global illegal drug trafficking.

The 65-year-old Colombian leader, who traveled to Barcelona for a summit with leaders from Spain, Brazil and Mexico, told El País that the sanctions imposed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control are being used as a political tool to blackmail “those of us who support different policies”.

“It's a system similar to what the king of Spain had a few centuries ago. And what was the response of Latin America? Rebellion. That's what will happen now if the US government is not able to rethink its relations with Latin America,” he said.

According to Gustavo Petro, the US bombing of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, as part of the operation to capture President Nicolás Maduro in January, has raised fears among many leaders in the region.

However, Gustavo Petro said that his personal relationship with Donald Trump is a good one. The two spoke twice recently and dismantled “false narratives” about the other, the Colombian leader said, adding that he did not go to Washington “to kneel and beg” but met as equals.

Petro, elected in 2022, is due to end his term in August, as Colombia's Constitution does not allow presidents to serve more than one term.