In a lengthy message published on his X account, the president Gustavo Petro warned of an alleged “military invasion of Colombia”pointing out that the diplomatic crisis with the United States has worsened after the recent military movements in the Caribbean and the statements of President Donald Trump.
The statement was made this Tuesday, October 21, and has generated political reactions inside and outside the country.
According to information revealed by Week Magazinethe Colombian head of state questioned the naval operations that the US Government is carrying out in Caribbean waters. He stated that these actions seek to attack drug trafficking structures linked to the so-called “Cartel of the Suns”, which, according to Washington, would be headed by the Nicolás Maduro regime.
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The Colombian president also hinted that in the midst of this context a package of personal sanctions is being prepared against him. “In the disaster of anti-narcotics policy that has already killed 27 boatmen from the Caribbean, all poor people who, whether carrying or not carrying cocaine, have been killed by missiles and who have already gained a threat of military invasion of Colombia and Venezuela, and which is going to bring personal sanctions on me, as if I were the head of drug trafficking in the world,” Petro wrote in his message.
Petro also made reference to his personal assets and the economic difference with Trump, who recently accused him of being the “leader of drug trafficking.” The president responded by saying that he owns “a house that I still owe to the bank and that is worth less than half of a room in one of the apartments in the buildings that Trump owns.”
In his publication, the Colombian president mentioned US Senator Bernie Moreno, whom he described as an actor with a “disastrous role” in bilateral relations between both countries. According to Petro, Moreno would have promoted hostile speeches against his administration, increasing the diplomatic tension that has persisted for several weeks.
According to Weekthe president also accused Trump of being behind a “coup d’état” plan in Colombia, within the framework of an alleged political strategy that seeks to affect the stability of his government. This statement was known just 24 hours after Petro received a diplomatic representative of the United States at the Casa de Nariño.
The previous Monday, the president met with John McNamara, US chargé d’affaires in Colombia, and with ambassador Daniel García-Peña. The purpose of the meeting was to explore solutions to the diplomatic crisis derived from the recent exchanges of statements between the two governments.
After the meeting, the Foreign Ministry issued a statement in which it reported that both parties “agreed that this is the first approach to remedy the current impasse in bilateral relations and that new meetings will be held with the aim of reaching a prompt solution.”
In this context, Petro published the message that has caused widespread controversy, as it relates it to the possibility of military intervention, something that has not been confirmed by official United States sources so far. However, the president insists that operations in the Caribbean represent a “direct threat” to Colombia and Venezuela.
The president’s statement has opened a new chapter in the already tense relationship with Donald Trump’s administration. Spokesmen for the Colombian Congress requested clarity about the origin of the information that motivated their warning, while international analysts have asked for prudence in the management of diplomatic channels.
So far, the US Government has not issued an official response to Petro’s message. However, the United States Embassy in Bogotá recently reiterated its commitment to respect for Colombian sovereignty and to bilateral cooperation on security issues and the fight against drug trafficking.
The president, for his part, has not specified whether his Government will adopt additional measures against the alleged threats or if he will call an extraordinary meeting of the National Security Council. The truth is that his statements have once again placed Colombia’s foreign policy and its relationship with Washington at the center of the debate.
