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President Donald Trump on Sunday doubled down on his criticism of Colombia, calling its far-left president, Gustavo Petro, a “” and the “worst president they have actually ever had” as he restated his vow to cut off all moneying to the Latin American nation over its drug production.
Trump’s incendiary remarks came while talking to press reporters aboard Flying force One. The president stated he was stopping all payments to Colombia due to the fact that the nation was producing drugs instead of combating them.
” They make drugs, they fine-tune drugs, they make drug, they have drug factories,” Trump stated. “They have no battle versus drugs, and I’m stopping all payments to Colombia due to the fact that they do not have anything to do with their battle versus drugs.”
The president’s rhetoric marked a sharper, more individual attack on Petro, whom he had actually previously implicated of being an “controlled substance leader” and “motivating the huge production of narcotics” throughout the nation.
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President Donald Trump speaks with members of journalism on Oct. 19, 2025, aboard Flying Force One. ( Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Trump stated that he would reveal brand-new tariffs on Monday, validating an X post from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who composed: “President Trump … notified me that he is going to be striking Colombia, not just their drug dealerships and traders, however likewise where it harms, in the wallet. He will be revealing significant Tariffs versus the Nation of Colombia, today or tomorrow.”
In a Fact Social post previously Sunday, Trump alerted that Petro “much better close up” drug operations “or the United States will close them up for him, and it will not be done perfectly.”
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Trump stated that Petro had “a fresh mouth towards America.” He grumbled that drug smuggling continues “in spite of big scale payments and aids from the U.S.A. that are absolutely nothing more than a long term dupe of America.”
” AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS, OR ANY OTHER KIND OF PAYMENT, OR AIDS, WILL NO LONGER BE MADE TO COLOMBIA,” he included.
The heated words come amidst intensifying stress in between Washington and among its closest Latin American allies.
This image reveals President Donald Trump, left, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, right. ( Getty Images)
Petro fired back on X, stating Trump’s claims misshape Colombia’s record.
” Attempting to promote peace in Colombia is not being a drug trafficker,” Petro composed. He recommended that Trump was being tricked by his advisors, explained himself as “the primary opponent” of drugs in his nation and stated Trump was being “disrespectful and oblivious towards Colombia.”
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Colombia’s Foreign Ministry implicated Trump of threatening the nation’s sovereignty, calling his remarks an “prohibited intervention.” Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez included that the militaries have actually “likewise lost males and females combating drug trafficking.”
Trump’s newest broadside versus Petro raises the possibility of a broadening clash in Latin America, where the U.S. has actually currently increased pressure on surrounding Venezuela and its leader, Nicolás Maduro.
President of Colombia Gustavo Petro resolves the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at U.N. head office ( AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
U.S. forces have actually stepped up counternarcotics operations throughout the Caribbean, releasing ships and security airplane as part of a more comprehensive crackdown on trafficking networks. Trump likewise licensed hidden operations inside Venezuela.
Unlike Venezuela, Colombia stays Washington’s leading local help recipient, though financing has actually been up to approximately $230 million this year– well listed below earlier peaks topping $700 million, per U.S. budget plan information. More cuts might impact military cooperation and weaken efforts to eliminate rebel groups.
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However coca growing reached an all-time high in 2015, according to the United Nations, and there has actually been fresh violence in backwoods where the federal government invested years fighting insurgents before reaching a peace deal a years back.
In September, the Trump administration implicated Colombia of stopping working to work together in the drug war, although at the time Washington released a waiver of sanctions that would have activated help cuts.
The split reveals President Donald Trump together with Colombian President Gustavo Petro. ( Getty Images)
Petro, Colombia’s very first leftist president, has actually consistently feuded with Trump this year. Petro at first declined U.S. military flights of deported migrants, leading Trump to threaten tariffs. The State Department stated it would withdraw Petro’s visa when he participated in the U.N. General Assembly in New York City due to the fact that he informed American soldiers to disobey Trump’s orders.
Petro and Trump have actually likewise been at chances over American strikes on boats in the Caribbean. The Colombian president has actually implicated the U.S. of civilian casualties in maritime drug raids– declaring one current strike eliminated a Colombian angler who apparently had no ties to drug trafficking.
There have actually been 7 U.S. strikes in the area given that early September that the administration states are targeting declared drug traffickers. A minimum of 32 individuals have actually been eliminated.
The Associated Press added to this report.
Source: Fox News.
