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.
Colombia currently pays 10% tariffs on most imports to the United States, the baseline level Trump has imposed on many countries.
He said the ship was affiliated with the leftist rebel group National Liberation Army and was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, without offering evidence to back the claim.
“Mr. Trump, Colombia has never been rude to the United States… but you are rude and ignorant to Colombia,” Petro said on X.
An overview.
Trump claims he will declare increases in Colombian tariffs.
Colombia is accused by the US president of being complicit in the drug trade.
Colombia promises to fight US accusations of autonomy.
Petro contests Pentagon’s claim that the vessel is connected to a rebel group.
Reuters, October 19, ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE – U. S. . In an effort to intensify a dispute that originates from the U.S., President Donald Trump declared on Sunday night that he would increase tariffs on Colombia and cease all payments to the South American country. S. military attacks on ships that are allegedly delivering drugs in the area.
Trump earlier today referred to Gustavo Petro, the president of Colombia, as an “illegal drug leader,” while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. S. The vessel was linked to a rebel group in Colombia and was attacked by forces. His government deemed Trump’s comments offensive, while Petro claimed the boat belonged to a “humble family,” not a rebel organization.
Bogota, which Trump accuses of being involved in the illegal drug trade, and Washington’s relationship reached a new low after Trump’s recent remarks. Trump told reporters on Air Force One, “They don’t have a fight against drugs — they make drugs.”.
Petro is against the U. A. Numerous people have been killed and tensions in the Caribbean have increased as a result of military strikes against vessels. The remarkable string of military operations has also been denounced by numerous legal experts and human rights advocates.
“U,” Trump said. S. . The country would no longer receive financial aid, and on Monday, information regarding the new tariffs would be made public.
He declared, “I am ceasing all payments to Colombia.”.
What kind of financial assistance Trump was referring to was unclear. One of the biggest beneficiaries of U.S. aid was Colombia. A. aid in the Western Hemisphere, but after USAID, the U.S. S. government’s division for humanitarian aid.
Currently, Colombia pays the baseline tariff of 10% that Trump has imposed on many nations on the majority of its imports to the United States.
In order to protect Petro and Colombia’s independence, the foreign ministry of Colombia promised to look for outside assistance. “The dignity of the Colombian president is undermined by these accusations, which constitute an extremely serious act,” the statement read.
One more assault.
The Pentagon destroyed a ship Friday and killed three people “in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” which includes the Caribbean, Hegseth wrote on X.
He claimed, without providing any supporting evidence, that the ship was involved in illegal drug smuggling and was associated with the National Liberation Army, a leftist rebel organization.
Beyond Hegseth’s original post, the Pentagon said it had nothing more to offer.
Petro said that the boat belonged to a “humble family,” not the National Liberation Army, and denounced the bombing. He also retaliated against Trump’s statements.
Mr. Colombia has never treated the United States rudely, Trump. But to Colombia, you are impolite and uninformed,” Petro wrote on X. My lack of business acumen makes me even less of a drug trafficker. My heart isn’t filled with greed. “.”.
Petro claimed earlier this month that a Colombian vessel was struck by one of the strikes, a claim the Trump administration refuted.
Petro participated in a pro-Palestinian protest in New York last month, and the US canceled his visa after he urged U.S. A. troops to defy Trump’s directives.
Colombia has been dealing with drug issues for a long time. Petro promised to use extensive social and military intervention to tame the nation’s coca-growing regions last year, but the plan hasn’t quite worked.
In September, Trump named new tab nations that the US believes have “failed demonstrably” to uphold counternarcotics agreements over the past year, including Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela.
Reporting by Sarah Kinosian in Mexico City; editing by Sergio Non and Nia Williams; reporting by Jeff Mason aboard Air Force One, Andy Sullivan, David Ljunggren, and Raphael Satter.
Our benchmark: The Trust Principles of Thomson Reuters. initiates a new tab.
Jeff Mason works for Reuters as a White House correspondent. He has covered the presidential campaigns of Biden, Trump, Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain in addition to the administrations of Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. He led the press corps in promoting press freedom during the early years of the Trump administration while serving as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association from 2016 to 2017. He received Deutsche Welle’s “Freedom of Speech Award” in recognition of his and the WHCA’s efforts. Jeff has posed scathing questions to both foreign and domestic leaders, such as Kim Jong Un of North Korea and Vladimir Putin of Russia. He co-won the “Breaking News” award from the Association for Business Journalists and won the WHCA’s “Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure” award. After starting his career as a business reporter in Frankfurt, Germany, Jeff was assigned to Brussels, Belgium, where he covered the European Union. Jeff is a political journalism professor at Georgetown University and a frequent radio and television personality. Previously a Fulbright scholar, he graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
Andy reports on Washington politics and policy. Political attack advertisements, Supreme Court briefs, and at least one Saturday Night Live skit have all referenced his work.
Formerly based in London and Moscow, this news outlet, which won Reuters’ Treasury scoop of the year, covers breaking news throughout North America as well as Canadian political, economic, and general news.
