Trump sanctions Colombian president, family over 'drug trafficking' - Gustavo Petro defiantly strikes back

On Friday, October 24, the US administration imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, his family and a member of his government over allegations of their involvement in drug trafficking, further severing relations between the two countries and a sharp response from the President of Colombia. The US imposed sanctions on Gustavo Petro and his family, accusing him of refusing to stop the flow of cocaine into the US. After the Trump administration imposed sanctions on Colombia’s president and his family, he hit back at the US, noting that the sanctions came from a society in which his country had helped combat cocaine use. Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, in his defiant response to the sanctions, said: “The fight against drug trafficking for decades and effectively brought me this measure to limit the consumption of cocaine.” He also said that sanctions “are not a step back.” “A complete paradox, but not a step back and never on our knees,” Gustavo Petro posted on social media. Earlier in the day, he also accused Donald Trump of “carrying out extrajudicial executions” that “violate” international law after nine US attacks on alleged drug-smuggling boats. “Mr. Trump slandered me and insulted Colombia. The deaths continue to increase like a taxi meter,” AFP quoted Petro as saying. Also read | US Issues Deadly Warning After Hitting Another Drug-Carrying Boat In Caribbean – ‘We Will Find You, Hunt You, Kill You’ Why Did US Approve Colombia Prez? The sanctions were slapped on Gustavo Petro; his wife Veronica del Socorro Alcocer Garcia; his son, Nicolas Fernando Petro Burgos; and the Colombian Minister of the Interior, Armando Alberto Benedetti. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced sanctions: “Since President Gustavo Petro came to power, cocaine production in Colombia has exploded to the highest rate in decades, flooding the United States and poisoning Americans.” “Petro has allowed drug cartels to thrive and has refused to stop this activity. President Trump is taking strong action to protect our nation and make it clear that we will not tolerate drug trafficking in our nation,” Bessent said. The move adds to a growing clash between Donald Trump and Gustavo Petro, particularly over deadly US attacks on alleged drug-carrying boats off South America. Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Colombia last weekend and said on Wednesday that all funding to the country had been halted. In justifying the sanctions, the US said hat “cocaine from Colombia is often purchased by Mexican cartels, who then smuggle it into the United States via the southern border.” In a recent clash with Petro, Donald Trump called him an “illegal drug lord”. Trump said: “He’s a guy who makes a lot of drugs. He better watch it or we’ll take very serious action against him and his country.” Gustavo Petro responded by saying that he would turn to the US court system to defend himself. “Against the defamation that high-ranking officials hurled at me on American soil, I will defend myself judicially with American lawyers in the American courts,” Petro wrote on X. (With agency input)