In reaction to the US’s increased aggressiveness against it, Colombia’s government has raised diplomatic tensions, recalling its ambassador to the US, Daniel García-Peña, from Washington D.C. This move follows a series of inflammatory comments from former President Donald Trump regarding Colombia’s drug policies. He saved special vitriol for President Gustavo Petro, the country’s first-ever leftist leader. Since the pandemic this has gotten worse. Both presidents are now publicly sparring over drug trafficking and military operations in Colombia.
Gustavo Petro’s administration expressed that it found Trump’s remarks offensive, particularly his characterization of Colombia as a “drug manufacturing machine” and his suggestion that Petro is an “illegal drug leader.” Tension reached its height when Trump declared that he had ordered his attorney general’s office to initiate legal action against Colombia. This change was aimed at undermining both non-U.S. courts and U.S. courts. Trump announced that the United States would end all financial aid payments to Colombia and increase tariffs.
Rising Casualties and Military Actions
The recent diplomatic spat comes amid an unprecedented wave of violence in Colombia. According to reports, U.S. strikes in the area have killed at least 32 civilians. Petro condemned these operations, calling out the U.S. government for carrying out assassinations. In particular, he praised the September 16 strike. It sparked an escalation that ended up killing Alejandro Carranza, another fisherman that Petro did not deny had no links to narcotraficantes. The Colombian president argued that Carranza’s vessel had broken down at the time of impact.
Petro denounced the U.S. military actions, stating, “The purpose of this drug production is the sale of massive amounts of product into the United States, causing death, destruction, and havoc.” He maintains that these strikes do not contribute to addressing the core issues surrounding drug trafficking and violence in Colombia.
The Colombian foreign ministry confirmed the ambassador’s return to Bogotá as part of an effort to reassess diplomatic relations with the U.S., reflecting the country’s dissatisfaction with ongoing military strategies. In short, the recall of the ambassador is a clear signal about how seriously Colombia is taking this crisis with bilateral ties.
Feuding Leaders and Diverging Narratives
This latest diplomatic rift is déjà vu on the bilateral stage, as Trump and Petro have been trading insults back and forth all year long. During his campaign, Trump frequently lambasted Petro’s brand of governance and leadership style. In one of his statements, he warned, “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.”
Petro has cast himself as Colombia’s “most important drug foe.” He’s claiming that his government is committed to peace, not drug-trafficking. He contends that many of Trump’s claims are based on confusion and misconceptions fed to him by advisers.
Against the backdrop of these conflicts, Colombia has undergone a dramatic decline in U.S. military and economic aid. The country received approximately $230 million in the U.S. budget year that concluded on September 30—down from over $700 million in previous years. This significant drop is alarming for several reasons. It might cause long-term damage to US-Mexico collaboration in countering drug smugglers and addressing wider regional security challenges.
