[Updated with a statement from the Colombian Foreign Ministry]
Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated this Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump "is mistaken" when he considers him a "drug trafficking leader," saying that what he has done throughout his career is precisely denounce drug mafias.
"Trump is deceived by his lodges and advisors. The main enemy that drug trafficking had in Colombia was the one who discovered its relations with the political power of Colombia in the 21st century. That was me. I recommend that Trump read Colombia well and determine which side the narcos are on and which side the Democrats are on," Petro wrote in X after Trump announced that he was cutting off financial aid to Colombia due to its inaction in the fight against drug trafficking.
"Trying to promote peace in Colombia is not being a drug trafficker," wrote Colombian President Gustavo Petro on his X account, in response to his US counterpart, Donald Trump, who called him a "leader of illegal drug trafficking."
According to Trump, the drug trade "has become, by far, the biggest business in Colombia," and accused him of doing nothing to stop it.
Colombia set a new record in 2024, seizing 960 tons of cocaine and cocaine base, 14% more than the previous year, according to official figures. However, between 2022 and 2023, the area of land dedicated to coca cultivation increased by 10%, reaching 253.000 hectares, according to a report by the Integrated Illicit Crop Monitoring System (SIMCI).
The Petro administration has intensified its efforts to reduce coca cultivation by 40% and convert 50.000 small coca farmers to legal crops by 2026, in a three-year strategy announced in 2023.
The Colombian Foreign Ministry rejects the "offensive and derogatory statements" directed at Petro.
The Colombian Foreign Ministry rejects the "offensive and derogatory statements" directed at Petro. This constitutes a threat to national sovereignty by Trump, who is accusing the Colombian president "without any basis," the organization said.
"These accusations constitute an act of the utmost gravity and violate the dignity of the president of the Colombian people," the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes.
The organization strongly rejected the U.S. leader's statements and the use of international cooperation as a tool for interference in the South American country's internal affairs. The statement was issued after Trump accuse Petro of "being a leader of illegal drug trafficking" and threatened to intervene "in an unkind manner" in Colombia to combat drug trafficking.
It's important to remember that on September 15, U.S. authorities announced their decision not to "certify" Colombia as a cooperating country in the fight against drug trafficking, which would have economic consequences at various levels. Washington then granted an exemption so as not to completely affect the assistance it transfers to Bogotá.
