Trump calls Colombia’s president an “unlawful drug chief” and orders an finish to U.S. assist

Washington — President Trump known as Colombia’s president an “unlawful drug chief” on Sunday and pledged to finish U.S. assist to the South American nation, following the chief’s criticism of U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats within the Caribbean.

Mr. Trump accused Colombian President Gustavo Petro in a put up on Fact Social of “encouraging the huge manufacturing of medication, in large and small fields.”

“It has develop into the largest enterprise in [Colombia], by far, and Petro does nothing to cease it, regardless of giant scale funds and subsidies from the USA which might be nothing greater than a long run rip off of America,” the president mentioned, persevering with in all caps: “AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT, OR SUBSIDIES, WILL NO LONGER BE MADE TO COLOMBIA.”

Hours earlier, Petro accused the united statesin a sequence of X posts of hitting a fishing vessel in a strike it carried out final month, not a ship carrying medication because it had claimed on the time. The Colombian chief mentioned a fisherman had been killed within the assault, saying that in doing so the U.S. had “invaded nationwide territory.” He made a related allegation earlier this month, claiming one other boat that was struck by the U.S. navy carried Colombian residents — which the U.S. denied.

Petro’s intervention has added to mounting scrutiny of the administration’s strikes, which it has characterised as being a part of a broader effort to fight drug smuggling and stem the movement of narcotics into the U.S.

It comes after a U.S. strike Thursday on a vessel within the Caribbean Sea, the sixth identified assault within the space since final month, and the primary during which survivors have been reported. Mr. Trump mentioned Saturday that the 2 survivors, one from Ecuador and the opposite from Colombia, could be returned to their international locations of origin.

In the meantime, Mr. Trump mentioned in his put up Sunday that the U.S. will not provide funds and subsidies to Colombia, claiming that the nation’s drug manufacturing is meant for “the sale of huge quantities of product into the USA, inflicting loss of life, destruction, and havoc.”

“Petro, a low rated and really unpopular chief, with a recent mouth towards America, higher shut up these killing fields instantly, or the USA will shut them up for him, and it will not be completed properly,” the president mentioned. 

Petro pushed again on Mr. Trump’s allegations in a put up on X, arguing that he has been the first foe of drug trafficking in his nation lately.

Final month, the Trump administration added Colombia to its listing of nations it deems as failing to uphold its duties to manage drug trafficking for the primary time in virtually three a long time. The division mentioned that underneath Petro’s management, “coca cultivation and cocaine manufacturing have reached file highs whereas Colombia’s authorities failed to satisfy even its personal vastly decreased coca eradication objectives.”

On the similar time, the administration issued a waiver permitting Colombia, a conventional U.S. ally in anti-drug trafficking efforts, to proceed to obtain assist.

It’s not clear what U.S. funds to Colombia will now be lower off.

Petro, the primary leftist elected president of Colombia in a long time, has repeatedly clashed with the Trump administration in current weeks. Along with his criticism on social media, he denounced the strikes on alleged drug boats in a speech earlier than the United Nations final month and later, throughout a New York protest occasion, inspired members of the U.S. navy to “disobey” Mr. Trump’s orders. The transfer prompted the State Division to announce it will revoke Petro’s visa.

The strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats have additionally drawn backlash from neighboring Venezuela, which has accused the Trump administration of aggression. The administration has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of working with drug cartels, which he has denied.