President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro have traded harsh barbs in recent days, challenging each other after Trump, who has accused Petro of being a “drug trafficking leader,” suggested that an operation against Colombia “sounds good” following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Key data
A day after announcing Maduro’s capture, Trump indicated Sunday that Colombia was in his crosshairs, as his administration has accused the leaders of several Latin American countries of being involved or not doing enough to combat narcoterrorism.
The president said, “Sounds good to me,” when asked if the United States would launch an operation against Colombia.
Trump has also portrayed Petro as a drug trafficker, recently telling reporters that Colombia was “run by a sick man who likes to make cocaine and sell it to the United States,” adding that Petro “isn’t going to be doing that for long, let me tell you.”
However, while Petro’s handling of Colombia’s drug trafficking problem has come under scrutiny, there is no evidence that he works directly with criminal organizations, according to The New York Times, which noted that cocaine seizures and cocaine production in Colombia have reached record numbers under Petro.
Colombia insisted on Monday that it will continue to cooperate with the United States in the fight against drug trafficking, Reuters reported, with Interior Minister Armando Benedetti stating that operations would focus on drug laboratories and criminal organizations.
Following Maduro’s capture, Petro condemned the US operation in Venezuela and challenged the Trump administration, saying in a statement: “Come for me. I’m waiting for you here.”
Petro said Sunday on
Continue reading: Colombia condemns US actions in Venezuela before the OAS for being a regional threat
Petro’s challenge comes after The New York Times reported that Maduro’s public displays of dancing and insouciance prompted some members of the Trump administration to carry out their military threats against the Venezuelan president.
What to expect
Trump has indicated that his administration could be planning similar operations in Cuba, as well as the annexation of Greenland. The president said Cuba “seems ready to fall” before stating, “they have a lot of great Cuban Americans who are going to be very happy about this.” Greenland’s ruling party has openly opposed U.S. control of the country, with its leaders saying in a joint statement, “Greenland belongs to its people,” while the prime minister of Denmark, which controls Greenland, suggested that an attack would end the NATO alliance. The Trump administration has not ruled out using military force against Greenland.
What is the United States accusing Petro of?
Unlike Maduro, who had a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest and was accused in 2020 by the United States of narcoterrorism, Petro has had no criminal charges against him. The Treasury Department did issue sanctions against Petro in October 2025, accusing the Colombian president of allowing “drug cartels to flourish.” The Petro administration has strengthened Colombia’s ties with China while the United States has excluded Colombia as a partner in the fight against drugs.
Side comment
The official White House X account published a photo of Trump with the caption “FAFO,” after Maduro’s capture, considered a warning to other countries. The State Department’s official X page also joined the show on Monday, posting a photo of the president with the caption: “THIS IS OUR HEMISPHERE.”
Key context
The Trump administration’s capture of Maduro follows months of military attacks against suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea, which the administration justified as a means to prevent illicit drugs from reaching the United States. At least 115 people were killed in the attacks between September and December last year, according to the Trump administration, which increased its military presence off the coast of Venezuela in late 2025 and imposed a blockade on sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers. The United States carried out the capture of Maduro and his wife on January 3 in an operation that killed at least 80 people, including civilians and military personnel, although Trump has said that none of the dead were US military personnel. Maduro and his wife were indicted on Monday on narcoterrorism charges, when the Venezuelan president pleaded not guilty and said he was “not guilty.” The Trump administration has characterized Maduro’s capture as a law enforcement operation, rejecting criticism about the legality of the operation and Trump’s presidential powers.
This article was originally published on Forbes US
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