Petro vows to 'take up arms' against Trump's Colombia threats
What's the story
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has threatened to "take up arms" in response to United States President Donald Trump's threats of military action against Colombia. The threat comes after a recent US operation in Venezuela, where President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were detained and flown to New York on drug trafficking charges. Trump had warned Petro to "watch his a**," calling him "a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States."
Counterstatement
Petro defends Colombia's anti-narcotics strategy
In response to Trump's threats, Petro defended Colombia's anti-narcotics strategy and warned against excessive military force. He wrote on X, "If you bomb even one of these groups without sufficient intelligence, you will kill many children," adding, "And if you arrest the president whom a good part of my people want and respect, you will unleash the popular jaguar." He also warned that bombing peasants could lead to a renewed increase in guerrilla insurgency in the country's mountains.
Twitter Post
Petro's statement on X over Trump's threats
Hoy veré si las palabras en inglés de Trump se traducen como dice la prensa nacional. Por tanto, más tarde las responderé hasta saber lo que significa realmente la amenaza ilegítima de Trump.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 5, 2026
En cuanto al señor Rubio que desliga autoridades del presidente y dice que el…
Military criticism
Petro criticizes US military presence in Caribbean
Petro has been a vocal critic of the increasing US military presence in the Caribbean. The deployment started with bombing suspected drug boats, with known strikes numbering 33 and at least 112 people killed since September. Later, this included seizing Venezuelan oil tankers. He slammed the US operation in Venezuela as an "assault on sovereignty" that could lead to a humanitarian crisis.
Diplomatic tensions
US-Colombia relations strained under current leadership
Historically, Colombia and the US have been close military and economic allies. However, since the start of Trump's second term as president, relations have soured over issues including tariffs and immigration policy. The Trump administration is also closely allied with Colombia's right-wing opposition, which hopes to win upcoming legislative and presidential elections. Notably, Petro is a former member of the M-19 guerrilla group, an urban movement in the late 1970s and 1980s.