In a dramatic escalation of tensions with Latin America, US President Donald Trump has openly threatened possible military action against Colombia, branding its president as a "sick man" involved in the cocaine trade. This stark warning comes just a day after a high-stakes US operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
Trump's In-Flight Threats and Cocaine Allegations
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, President Trump launched a sharp verbal assault on Colombia's leftist President Gustavo Petro. He accused the Colombian government of being a major producer and exporter of cocaine destined for the United States. "Colombia is very sick, too, run by a sick man, who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States, and he’s not going to be doing it very long," Trump stated bluntly.
When journalists directly questioned whether the United States was considering a military operation against Colombia, similar to the one just executed in Venezuela, the President's reply was chillingly succinct: "It sounds good to me." These remarks were captured in an audio recording of the interaction, which revolved around US efforts to combat regional drug trafficking.
The Venezuela Precedent and Rising Regional Tensions
Trump's threats follow the audacious capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. US forces removed them from Caracas, transported them via the USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean, and ultimately brought them to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. They now face a series of federal charges in the Southern District of New York, including:
- Conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism
- Cocaine importation conspiracy
- Possession of machine guns and destructive devices
According to Reuters, Trump's latest comments reflect months of rising tensions between Washington and Bogotá, marked by a US military build-up in the Caribbean and an increasingly aggressive US posture towards Latin American governments accused of facilitating drug trafficking. Last month, from his Mar-a-Lago residence, Trump warned that Petro "has to watch because he’s got drug factories" and claimed knowledge of at least three major cocaine manufacturing facilities in Colombia.
Colombia's Defiant Response and Sovereignty Warning
Colombia, historically a close US ally in the region, has seen relations deteriorate sharply since Gustavo Petro, the country's first leftist president, took office in 2022. Petro has vehemently rejected Trump's accusations. He asserts that his government has been seizing record amounts of cocaine and destroying drug labs without any foreign military intervention.
In a bold move last month, Petro even invited Trump to visit Colombia—the world's largest cocaine producer—to witness anti-narcotics efforts firsthand. However, his response to the recent threat was far more combative. On the social media platform X, Petro issued a stern warning: "Come to Colombia, Mr. Trump… but do not threaten our sovereignty, because you will awaken the Jaguar." He framed any potential US attack as a declaration of war and an assault on international norms.
Petro also condemned the US operation in Venezuela, calling it a violation of Latin American sovereignty that risked triggering a humanitarian crisis. This fiery exchange marks a significant escalation in a feud that has seen Trump repeatedly suggest military strikes against nations he accuses of flooding the US with illegal drugs, a stance he reiterated in a cabinet meeting earlier this month.
