- May 14, 2026
International Desk | PNN
President Donald Trump on Sunday attacked Colombian President Gustavo Petro, calling him an “illegal drug leader,” and announced that the United States would halt all aid to the South American country. The remarks came after Petro criticized the U.S. for conducting attacks on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean region.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Petro has encouraged the expansion of massive drug-producing fields but has done nothing to stop it — even though the United States has been sending large sums of money and subsidies. It’s nothing but a long-term scam.” He added, “Starting today, Colombia will no longer receive any kind of financial aid or subsidies.”
Earlier, Petro had posted on the X platform (formerly Twitter), accusing U.S. forces of attacking a fishing boat last month, which they claimed was carrying drugs. “A fisherman was killed in the attack, and through this act, the United States has violated Colombian sovereignty,” Petro wrote. He had previously accused the U.S. of killing Colombian citizens in another similar strike, which Washington denied.
Following Petro’s intervention, criticism of U.S. operations in the region has intensified. The U.S., however, insists that the attacks are part of its broader campaign to curb drug trafficking and prevent the flow of narcotics into American territory.
Last Thursday, a vessel in the Caribbean Sea was targeted — the largest such attack since January. It was the sixth operation of its kind this year, and the first in which two survivors — one Ecuadorian and one Colombian — were rescued. On Saturday, Trump stated that both survivors would be repatriated to their home countries.
Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, has been at odds with the Trump administration for several weeks. He had previously criticized U.S. strikes on drug-carrying boats during his speech at the United Nations and encouraged American soldiers to defy Trump’s orders during a protest rally in New York. In response, the U.S. State Department announced the cancellation of Petro’s visa.
Colombia, a long-time partner in America’s anti-narcotics efforts, was recently placed on a U.S. watch list for “failing to control drug trafficking.” Under Petro’s leadership, coca cultivation and cocaine production have reached record levels, and the Colombian government has fallen short of its own coca eradication targets.
It remains unclear which specific aid or subsidy programs will be cut, but experts warn that relations between Colombia and the United States may grow increasingly strained in the coming days.
