The United States and Colombia are embroiled in a diplomatic spat, with US President Donald Trump accusing Colombian President Gustavo Petro of failing to curb cocaine trafficking. Trump’s remarks came after Petro criticized US seizures of Venezuelan oil ships, stating that the southern US was built on stolen land. The Colombian leader also demanded that the US return the land it “stole” from indigenous peoples.
Trump responded by warning Petro that he could face consequences over the alleged cocaine trafficking, which he claims is reaching the US. The US president described Petro as a “troublemaker” and claimed that Colombia has at least three major cocaine factories, which he urged Petro to close down immediately. Trump’s comments have strained relations between the two countries, which have historically been close allies in Latin America.
The tensions between the US and Colombia have been escalating since Petro, the country’s first left-wing president, took office in 2022. The US has imposed sanctions on Colombia under anti-drug trafficking authorities, which Colombia has condemned as politically motivated. In September, the US State Department revoked Petro’s visa, further straining relations.
Petro has pushed back against Trump’s rhetoric, disputing claims about drug production and highlighting Colombia’s efforts to curb illegal crops. Despite these efforts, data shows that Colombia remains the main source of cocaine seized in the US. In response to US criticism, Colombia has announced plans to deploy drones to destroy coca crops, a shift from manual eradication after aerial fumigation was banned in 2015 due to environmental concerns.
The US has long criticized Colombia’s decision to halt aerial fumigation, and in September, Washington added Colombia to a list of nations failing to cooperate in the drug war for the first time in nearly 30 years. The move accuses Petro’s government of not doing enough to curb cocaine production. The diplomatic spat between the US and Colombia is likely to continue, with significant implications for relations between the two countries and the wider region.