US President Donald Trump on Sunday lashed out at Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, calling him an “illegal drug leader.” Trump criticised Petro for encouraging drug production across the country and also announced that the US would cut aid to the nation.
Trump posted on Truth Social, “President Gustavo Petro, of Colombia, is an illegal drug leader strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs, in big and small fields, all over Colombia. It has become the biggest business in Colombia, by far, and Petro does nothing to stop it, despite large scale payments and subsidies from the USA that are nothing more than a long term rip off of America. AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT, OR SUBSIDIES, WILL NO LONGER BE MADE TO COLOMBIA. The purpose of this drug production is the sale of massive amounts of product into the United States, causing death, destruction, and havoc.”
He further added, ” 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President Donald J. Trump.”
According to the United States, Colombia is the world’s largest exporter of cocaine, with coca cultivation reaching a record high in the country.
A report published by The Times of India noted that the Trump administration had already accused Colombia of not cooperating with the US in tackling the drug menace.
Linking his accusations to concrete action, the president confirmed a recent US military operation targeting a semi-submersible vessel in the Caribbean, describing it as a strike against narcoterrorists. “It was my great honor to destroy a very large DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE that was navigating towards the United States on a well-known narcotrafficking transit route,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday.
He said US intelligence confirmed the vessel was carrying fentanyl and other narcotics, and that the strike on Thursday aimed to disrupt a major drug trafficking route. Two crew members on the vessel were killed, while two others survived and were airlifted by US forces in a helicopter rescue operation to a nearby US Navy warship. The US military held the survivors on board at least until Friday evening, Al Jazeera reported.
