Colombian President Gustavo Petro has warned that would “take up arms” if the US decides to attack him or his country following a series of threats from President Donald Trump.
In a post on X, Petro underlined his efforts to combat drug trafficking, which Trump has criticized, and went on to claim that US military strikes against traffickers in Colombia would risk killing children and driving recruitment for separatist groups that have been in conflict with the state for decades.
“And if they arrest a president that has the support and respect of a large part of the country, they will unleash a popular uprising,” he added.
Petro, a former member of the M19 guerilla group, also said that he would himself fight to defend Colombia.
“I swore not to touch a weapon again … but for the homeland I will take up arms again,” he said.
Trump had harsh words for Petro on Sunday, describing him as “a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States, and he’s not going to be doing it very long.”
When pressed by a reporter if those comments meant there could be an “operation” in Colombia in the future, Trump responded, “sounds good to me.”
Speaking to The New York Times on Monday, Colombia’s defense minister Pedro Sánchez refused to address Trump’s threats, instead emphasizing that the two countries have “a very close relationship.”
Sánchez said he remains in communication with US officials, and that possible military strikes on Colombia have not been discussed during recent conversations, the Times reported.