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.
The president of the US charges Colombia with involvement in the drug trade.
In response to US accusations, Colombia promises to defend its autonomy.
Petro denies the Pentagon’s claim that the vessel is associated with a rebel group.
Reuters, October 19, ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, U.S. A. 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 suspected of delivering drugs in the area.
Trump earlier in the day referred to Gustavo Petro, the president of Colombia, as an “illegal drug leader,” while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S. S. A ship connected to a rebel group in Colombia had been attacked by forces. His government deemed Trump’s comments offensive, while Petro claimed the boat belonged to a “humble family,” not a rebel organization.
The recent remarks made by Trump, who accuses Bogota of being involved in the illegal drug trade, represented a new low in Washington-Bogota relations. Trump told reporters on Air Force One, “They don’t have a fight against drugs — they make drugs.”.
Petro has protested against the U. S. . Numerous people have been killed and tensions in the Caribbean have increased as a result of military strikes against vessels. A large number of human rights advocates and legal professionals have also denounced the extraordinary string of military operations.
Trump said, “U.”. S. . The country would no longer receive financial aid, and on Monday, information regarding the new tariffs would be made public.
When he said, “I’m stopping all payments to Colombia,”.
Trump’s reference to funding support was unclear. One of the biggest recipients of U.S. aid was Colombia. A. aid in the Western Hemisphere, but after USAID, the U.S. A. government agency that provides humanitarian aid.
The baseline tariff that Trump has imposed on many nations is 10 percent, which Colombia currently pays on the majority of its imports to the US.
Colombia’s foreign ministry pledged to look for outside assistance to protect Petro and the nation’s independence. According to a statement, “these accusations represent an extremely serious act and undermine the dignity of the president of Colombians.”.
A NEW ATTACK.
The Pentagon killed three people and destroyed a vessel Friday “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.
The Pentagon stated that it had nothing more to say than what Hegseth had already said.
The boat, according to Petro, belonged to a “humble family,” not the National Liberation Army, and he denounced the explosion. He also retaliated against Trump’s statements.
“Mr. Trump, the United States has never experienced rudeness from Colombia. However, you are impolite and uninformed toward Colombia,” Petro stated on X. My lack of business acumen makes me even less of a drug trafficker. My heart does not harbor greed. “.
The Trump administration refuted Petro’s claim earlier this month that one of the strikes struck a Colombian vessel.
The United States cancelled Petro’s visa last month after he participated in a pro-Palestinian protest in New York and urged U.S. S. soldiers to defy Trump’s directives.
Colombia is battling its own long-standing drug issues. Petro promised last year to use extensive military and social intervention to tame the nation’s coca-growing regions, but the plan hasn’t been very successful.
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.
Editing by Sergio Non and Nia Williams; additional reporting by Sarah Kinosian in Mexico City; reporting by Jeff Mason aboard Air Force One, Andy Sullivan, David Ljunggren, and Raphael Satter.
The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles are our benchmarks. launches a new tab.
Reuters has Jeff Mason as a White House correspondent. Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton have all been covered by him, as have the presidential campaigns of Biden, Trump, Obama, and John McCain. In the early years of the Trump administration, he led the press corps in promoting press freedom while serving as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association from 2016 to 2017. His and the WHCA’s efforts were honored with the “Freedom of Speech Award” from Deutsche Welle. 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 Association for Business Journalists’ “Breaking News” award and won the WHCA’s “Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure” award. Before being assigned to Brussels, Belgium, to cover the European Union, Jeff started his career as a business reporter in Frankfurt, Germany. Jeff teaches political journalism at Georgetown University and is frequently featured on radio and television. A former Fulbright scholar, he graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism for his degree.
Andy reports on policy and politics in Washington. At least one Saturday Night Live skit, political attack advertisements, and Supreme Court briefs have all referenced his work.
Winner of Reuters’ Treasury scoop of the year, this former London and Moscow-based news organization covers Canadian political, economic, and general news as well as breaking news throughout North America.
