Colombia's President Gustavo Petro has told the BBC that he believes there is now a 'real threat' of US military action against Colombia. Petro stated that the US is treating other nations as part of a US 'empire'. It comes after Trump said a military operation in Colombia 'sounds good'. Petro stated that the US risks transforming from 'dominating the world' to becoming 'isolated from the world.' He also accused US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents of acting like 'Nazi brigades'. Trump has significantly expanded ICE operations as part of what the administration says is a crackdown on crime and immigrants who illegally entered the US.
Following US strikes on Venezuela and the seizure of Nicolás Maduro, US President Donald Trump stated a military operation targeting Colombia 'sounds good'. Trump has repeatedly told Petro to 'watch his ass', which Petro has condemned. After a phone call between Trump and Petro, Trump described their conversation as a 'Great Honour' but Petro's remarks suggest relations have not improved significantly. He emphasized that the call lasted just under an hour and included topics surrounding drug trafficking and the political climate in Latin America.
Petro strongly criticized recent US immigration enforcement, linking aggressive tactics to violence and declaring that such actions by ICE have gone too far, even resulting in the death of a US citizen. Alaska state's history includes examples of harsh enforcement measures that have led to public outrage. This situation has prompted demonstrations in Colombia advocating for sovereignty and questioning US imperial actions. On dialogue, Petro stated, “Colombia's history shows how it has responded to large armies... we rely on the masses, our mountains, and our jungles, as we always have.”
As tensions rise, the focus now shifts to whether diplomatic conversations can de-escalate the potential for conflict while addressing issues of drug trafficking, immigration, and geopolitical sovereignty.
Following US strikes on Venezuela and the seizure of Nicolás Maduro, US President Donald Trump stated a military operation targeting Colombia 'sounds good'. Trump has repeatedly told Petro to 'watch his ass', which Petro has condemned. After a phone call between Trump and Petro, Trump described their conversation as a 'Great Honour' but Petro's remarks suggest relations have not improved significantly. He emphasized that the call lasted just under an hour and included topics surrounding drug trafficking and the political climate in Latin America.
Petro strongly criticized recent US immigration enforcement, linking aggressive tactics to violence and declaring that such actions by ICE have gone too far, even resulting in the death of a US citizen. Alaska state's history includes examples of harsh enforcement measures that have led to public outrage. This situation has prompted demonstrations in Colombia advocating for sovereignty and questioning US imperial actions. On dialogue, Petro stated, “Colombia's history shows how it has responded to large armies... we rely on the masses, our mountains, and our jungles, as we always have.”
As tensions rise, the focus now shifts to whether diplomatic conversations can de-escalate the potential for conflict while addressing issues of drug trafficking, immigration, and geopolitical sovereignty.
