Colombia currently pays 10% tariffs on most imports to the United States, the baseline level Trump has imposed on many countries.
COLOMBIA CONDEMNS TRUMP’S REMARKS “President Gustavo Petro, of Colombia, is an illegal drug leader strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs, in big and small fields, all over Colombia,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“The purpose of this drug production is the sale of massive amounts of product into the United States, causing death, destruction, and havoc,” Trump wrote.
Earlier this month, Petro said one of the strikes hit a Colombian vessel, an allegation the Trump administration denied.
“Mr. Trump, Colombia has never been rude to the United States… but you are rude and ignorant to Colombia,” Petro responded on X.
Oct. 19 (Reuters) – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that U.S. payments to Colombia would stop after President Donald Trump referred to the South American country’s president, Gustavo Petro, as an “illegal drug leader” on Sunday. S. The vessel was linked to a rebel group in Colombia and was attacked by forces.
Since Trump took office again in January and his administration began attacking ships suspected of carrying drugs in the Caribbean, Bogota and Washington’s relationship has deteriorated, and Trump’s remarks represented a new low.
The U. S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of the president, stated that Trump will soon announce “major tariffs” on Colombia after the president declared on social media that the US would cease large-scale payments and subsidies to the nation.
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.
The Pentagon killed three people and destroyed a vessel Friday “in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility,” which includes the Caribbean, Hegseth wrote on X.
Without providing any evidence, he claimed that the ship was involved in illegal drug smuggling and was connected to the National Liberation Army, a leftist rebel organization.
Hegseth’s original post was the only addition the Pentagon said it had to make.
COLOMBIA REACTS TO TRUMP’S COMMENTS.
Trump posted on Truth Social that “President Gustavo Petro, of Colombia, is an illegal drug leader greatly encouraging the massive production of drugs, in big and small fields, all over Colombia.”.
Trump wrote, “This drug production is being done to sell enormous quantities of the product into the United States, causing death, destruction, and havoc.”.
It was not immediately clear to Reuters which payments Trump was referring to. Colombia used to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of U.S. A. aid in the Western Hemisphere, but after USAID, the U.S. S. government agency for humanitarian aid.
The Foreign Ministry of Colombia declared that Trump’s comments were disrespectful and a direct danger to its sovereignty, and it promised to look for outside assistance to protect Petro and the nation’s independence.
In a statement, it said, “These accusations represent an extremely serious act and undermine the dignity of the president of Colombians.”.
The U. A. The White House did not immediately reply to inquiries that the State Department forwarded to it.
RELATIONS FRAUGTH.
After Petro participated in a pro-Palestinian protest in New York last month and urged the U.S. A. soldiers to defy Trump’s directives.
The U. S. . Colombians are also incensed about the administration’s lethal attacks on boats in the Caribbean. The extraordinary string of military actions has been denounced by numerous legal experts and human rights activists; Amnesty International has called it “murder on the high seas.”.
Petro claimed earlier this month that one of the strikes struck a Colombian ship, a claim the Trump administration refuted.
According to Petro, the boat belonged to a “humble family” rather than the National Liberation Army, and he denounced the most recent attacks. He also responded to Trump’s comments.
“Mister… Colombia has never treated the United States rudely, Trump. But to Colombia, you are impolite and uninformed,” Petro replied on X. I’m not a businessman, so I’m even less of a drug dealer. I don’t have any greed in my heart. “..”.
Colombia has been battling drug abuse for a long time. Petro promised last year to use significant military and social intervention to tame the nation’s coca-growing regions, but the plan hasn’t been very successful.
Editing by Sergio Non and Nia Williams; editing by David Ljunggren and Raphael Satter; additional reporting by Andy Sullivan in Washington and Sarah Kinosian in Mexico City.
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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.
Reuters reporter who focuses on disinformation, cybersecurity, and surveillance. Research has been done on mercenary hacking, propaganda powered by deepfakes, and state-sponsored espionage.
