USA has launched between September 2 and October 22, 2025, a total of nine attacks against vessels that are suspected of drug trafficking. 37 people lost their lives. What began as a series of sinkings in the Venezuelan southern Caribbean has moved to the Colombian Pacific. Those actions did nothing more than accelerate the deterioration of relations between Washington and Bogotá. The visceral rejection of Donald Trump toward Gustavo Petro is no stranger to the tension of the last few days.
It is clear that Trump and Petro do not love or respect each other. That antipathy It has become a political issue. The friction first became visible with the politics of deportations of the Republican magnate. Those clashes were just the beginning of an escalation that already has several milestones. The State Department withdrew his visa after he questioned the US role in Gaza on the streets of New York. At the same time, Colombia’s rating in its fight against drug trafficking was lowered. Air raids now represent a more disturbing point in the conflict. And that has been proven immediately. Petro has spoken of “murders” and of violations of international law. Trump has described his counterpart as “bully” y “bad type”an “unpopular” president and, at the same time, a “drug trafficking leader”. Petro has assured that he will defend himself against the “slander” in the US courts and with “American lawyers.” The words, increasingly risqué, appear to many analysts as the tree that does not reveal the forest of true controversies.
For Petro, the terms of verbal violence and threats of sanctions are not foreign to the figure of the Republican senator of Colombian origin. Bernardo Moreno. “Trump is a vulnerable victim of a man like MorenoThe Bogota native who emigrated to the United States when he was a child “is desperate” for Washington to “clash with this Government.” Petro maintains that Moreno is also linked to far-right paramilitarism. But it has been the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who has provided the indications of what goes beyond the virtual brawl. “I think that the Colombian authorities, in terms of their army and their police, continue to be very pro-American,” Rubio said. The only problem in that country “is the lunatic, the guy is crazy, and everyone knows it.” According to the head of North American diplomacy “it is a shame that the Colombian people have to“and put up with this guy until May of next year.”when the presidential elections are held. The US is more than interested in the return of the right to the Nariño Palace and the signs of repulsion aim, beyond an ideological issue, to erode the possibilities of the post-Petro left in the elections.
At this point, Trump wants to see, at least publicly, Petro and Nicolas Maduro like a two-sided coin. Reality presents nuances that the White House does not seem to care about. Although the Colombian president has criticized the sinking of the boats from the first moment and has denounced the dangers of military aggression against the neighboring country, Relations with Maduro are far from promising. Petro, like the Brazilian Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has not recognized the supposed triumph of the Bolivarian election, in July 2024. Other issues are reasons for disagreement, such as the situation of Colombians imprisoned in Venezuela and the tolerance of the Miraflores Palace towards the remnants of the guerrillas that operate on the common border. Beyond this lack of consensus, Petro is convinced that an eventual aggression against Venezuela would have dire consequences for the region.
Trump announced his decision to suspend subsidies to Colombia and a possible imposition of new tariffs on exports. A measure of this nature sets off alarm bells for business owners. It could affect the caféwhich has a strong presence in the North American market. Exports of this product alone amounted to 1,160 million dollars in the first half of this year, which meant an increase of 79% compared to the same period in 2024. flores and fresh cut cocoons totaled 745 million dollars, while the fresh roses They contributed another 220 million of the same currency. Trade between the US and Colombia was 36.7 billion dollars in 2024. Washington has taken a very dim view Petro’s attempts to diversify trade towards the BRICS and deepen ties with China. Trade between China and Colombia reached nearly 21 billion dollars the same year. This approach is not a minor issue in the midst of the Petro-Trump crisis.
Daniel García-Peña Jaramillo, Colombian ambassador to the United States, maintains that, despite the harshness of the speech, Petro seeks to establish a constructive dialogue with the United States. The minister believes that the scenario of greater confrontation is not irreversible. Their reasoning is based on the fact that, beyond Trump’s announcements, economic sanctions have not materialized for the moment. “The lack of news is good news.” In his opinion, the fact that there has been no further development of these measures “is in itself an encouraging element.” The chancellor admits that any analysis of the situation is very provisional. Bad things can happen. “We know that President Trump is unpredictable and it would be irresponsible on my part to guarantee that that is not going to happen.” Beyond the sparks that the two presidents create on social networks, Colombia has open channels and “a very good relationship” with the charge d’affaires, John McNamara. In fact, Petro received it two days ago.
Subscribe to continue reading
