In a recent interview with Univision, Colombian President Gustavo Petro issued a stark warning to President Donald Trump, suggesting that if Trump doesn't change his ways, the solution might be to "take out Trump.
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This comes in the wake of escalating tensions between the United States and Colombia, following the U.S.'s destruction of a suspected drug-running boat in the Caribbean last month, an incident that resulted in the death of a Colombian national.
According to Gateway Pundit, the man killed in the incident was identified by Petro as a fisherman. However, a report by El Pais contradicts this claim, stating that the deceased had a criminal record involving the theft of hundreds of weapons from a police station in 2015.
In response to the growing discord, Colombia recalled its ambassador to the U.S. on Monday for consultations. This diplomatic move followed the revocation of Petro's visa by the State Department last month during the U.N. General Assembly, after Petro spoke at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York City and urged U.S. troops to disobey Trump's orders.
In his interview with Univision President Daniel Coronell, Petro, speaking from Casa de Nario in Bogota, stated, "Humanity has a first offramp, and it is to change Trump in various ways. The easiest way may be through Trump himselfthe easiest. If not, take out Trump."
The comment left Coronell visibly shaken, leading him to post afterward, "I'm leaving more worried than when I arrived."
Trump, for his part, has been vocal in his criticism of Petro, accusing him of being an "illegal drug leader" and threatening to cease all payments and subsidies to Colombia. In a recent post, Trump stated, "The purpose of this drug production is the sale of massive amounts of product into the United States, causing death, destruction, and havoc. Petro, a low-rated and very unpopular leader, with a fresh mouth toward America, better close up these killing fields immediately, or the United States will close them up for him, and it won't be done nicely."
The Guardian reports that the feud between Petro and Trump intensified after Petro accused the U.S. of "murdering" a Colombian fisher in an attack on a vessel in its territorial waters. Petro and his administration have labeled the mid-September strike as a "direct threat to national sovereignty." In retaliation, Trump has threatened to impose new tariffs on Colombian goods.
The relationship between the two nations began to sour at the start of Trump's second term. After Colombia initially refused to accept military flights carrying deportees, Trump threatened tariffs and sanctions. The situation worsened when Washington revoked Petro's visa after he urged U.S. soldiers to disobey Trump's orders at a pro-Palestine rally in New York.
In September, the U.S. declared that Colombia was "failing" to meet its international drug control obligations, decertifying it for the first time in nearly 30 years. This decision came after the U.S.'s military action in Caribbean waters, where a boat believed to be transporting drugs to the U.S. was destroyed.
The man killed in the attack, identified by Petro as a "fisherman, not a drug trafficker," was reportedly involved in the theft of 264 weapons from the Santa Marta Metropolitan Police, according to El Pais. The incident, which occurred almost a decade ago, was a significant scandal due to the large number of firearms seized from illegal groups that disappeared from the police force's evidence warehouse.
The current state of affairs between the U.S. and Colombia is a stark reminder of the complex and often volatile nature of international relations. As the war of words between Trump and Petro continues, the world watches with bated breath, hoping for a peaceful resolution to this escalating conflict.
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