In a dramatic escalation of tensions, former US President Donald Trump has threatened potential military action against Colombia, prompting its leftist leader, Gustavo Petro, to declare he is prepared to "take up arms" in defence of the nation. The fiery exchange, marked by personal insults and geopolitical manoeuvring, underscores a deepening rift between Washington and a key South American ally.
From Verbal Barbs to Military Threats
The confrontation ignited when Trump, in a stark warning, told President Petro to "watch his ass" and labelled him "a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States." This verbal attack is the latest in a series of sharp exchanges between the two leaders over recent months. When questioned directly about the possibility of a US military operation in Colombia, Trump's response was blunt: "It sounds good to me."
This threat followed a high-stakes US operation in neighbouring Venezuela just days earlier, where authorities captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, transporting them to New York to face federal charges. The Caracas raid has sent shockwaves across the region, setting a precedent that has clearly alarmed the Colombian government.
Petro's Defiant Stance and Regional Condemnation
Responding with defiance, President Petro—Colombia's first leftist head of state and a former M-19 guerrilla—took to social media platform X to issue a powerful statement. "I swore not to touch a weapon again... but for the homeland I will take up arms again," he declared, signalling a return to a militant posture he had long abandoned.
Petro has been a vocal critic of the expanding US military footprint in the Caribbean, which began with bombings of suspected drug boats, expanded to seizures of Venezuelan oil tankers, and culminated in the raid on Caracas. He condemned the US action in Venezuela as an "assault on the sovereignty" of Latin America, warning it could trigger a severe humanitarian crisis.
In a lengthy post, Petro also defended Colombia's anti-narcotics approach, cautioning against reckless use of force. "If you bomb even one of these groups without sufficient intelligence, you will kill many children. If you bomb peasants, thousands will turn into guerrillas in the mountains," he wrote, adding that detaining a popular leader would "unleash the popular jaguar."
Sanctions and the Stakes for Colombia
The Trump administration has already taken concrete punitive steps against Petro. Washington has imposed financial sanctions on Petro and his family and, in a significant diplomatic blow, removed Colombia from the list of countries certified as allies in the US war on drugs. These moves were made despite Petro's assertions that his government is committed to combating narcotics through a strategy focused on social investment rather than solely militarised eradication.
Analysts note that the Trump administration maintains close ties with Colombia's right-wing opposition, which is hoping for electoral victories in legislative and presidential polls scheduled for later this year. This political dimension adds a layer of domestic complexity to the international standoff, framing the conflict as both a geopolitical and an internal political battle for Colombia's future direction.
The clash between Trump and Petro marks a critical juncture in US-Latin American relations, moving from diplomatic friction to overt threats of armed conflict. As Petro reaffirms his readiness to defend Colombian sovereignty, the world watches to see if the war of words escalates further, potentially destabilising a region already grappling with complex challenges.
