United States President Donald Trump has called his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, an “illegal drug leader”.
Trump also announced that he would raise tariffs on Colombia and stop all payments to the South American nation, escalating a feud that stems from the U.S. military’s strikes on vessels allegedly transporting drugs in the region.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. forces had attacked a vessel associated with a Colombian rebel group.
Petro said the boat belonged to a “humble family,” not a rebel group, while his government called Trump’s remarks offensive.
Trump’s latest comments marked a new low in relations between Washington and Bogota, which Trump accuses of being complicit in the illicit drug trade.
Last month, the United States revoked Petro’s visa after he joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York and urged U.S. soldiers to disobey Trump’s orders.
“They don’t have a fight against drugs — they make drugs,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, October 19, 2025.
Petro has objected to the U.S. military’s strikes against vessels in the Caribbean, which have killed dozens of people and inflamed tensions in the region.
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Many legal experts and human rights activists have also condemned the extraordinary series of military actions.
Trump said U.S. financial aid would be cut off to the country and details about the new tariffs would be unveiled on Monday.
“I’m stopping all payments to Colombia,” he said.
It was not clear what funding support Trump was referring to, according to Reuters.
Colombia was once among the largest recipients of U.S. aid in the Western Hemisphere, but the flow of money was suddenly curtailed this year by the shuttering of USAID, the U.S. government’s humanitarian assistance arm.
Colombia currently pays 10% tariffs on most imports to the United States, the baseline level Trump has imposed on many countries.
Colombia’s foreign ministry vowed to seek international support in defense of Petro and the country’s autonomy.
“These accusations represent an extremely serious act and undermine the dignity of the president of Colombians,” it said in a statement.
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