President Trump Threatens Colombian President Petro, Declaring ‘He’ll Be Next’ in Drug Campaign
President Donald Trump has issued a stark and explicit threat against his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, warning that the South American leader could be the next target of escalating U.S. military action in the region. The threat, made during a White House event on Wednesday, marked a significant intensification of the feud between the two leaders, which centers on U.S. anti-drug policy and Mr. Petro’s criticism of U.S. actions toward Venezuela.
When asked by a reporter whether he planned to speak with the Colombian President, Mr. Trump replied that Mr. Petro has been “fairly hostile to the United States” and warned, “He’s gonna have himself some big problems if he doesn’t wise up.” The President directly linked the warning to drug production, accusing Colombia of producing vast amounts of cocaine and selling it into the United States. “They have cocaine factories… So he better wise up, or he’ll be next. He’ll be next soon. I hope he’s listening. He’s going to be next,” Mr. Trump stated, in remarks that followed his confirmation that the U.S. had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.
The President’s comments follow months of strained relations, including Mr. Trump’s prior actions to suspend U.S. payments and subsidies to Colombia and his repeated labeling of the country’s first leftist President as an “illegal drug leader.” Mr. Petro has consistently denied any complicity in drug trafficking, arguing that Colombia has borne significant losses in the U.S.-led war on drugs and that Washington’s actions in the region are motivated by a desire to control oil supplies, not combat narcotics. The U.S. has significantly expanded its military operations in Latin America in recent months, deploying naval forces and conducting over twenty lethal strikes on suspected drug vessels, actions Mr. Petro has vehemently condemned as violations of Colombian sovereignty.
