President Gustavo Petro warned his United States counterpart, Donald Trump, this Tuesday not to threaten Colombia’s sovereignty, in response to comments made by the occupant of the Oval Office.
In a message posted on his social network account
“Come, Mr. Trump, to Colombia, I invite you, to participate in the destruction of the nine daily laboratories that we do so that cocaine does not reach the United States,” he wrote.
The head of state added that, without missiles, 18,400 of these centers were dismantled during his government.
“Come with me and I will show you how they are destroyed, a laboratory every 40 minutes, but do not threaten our sovereignty, because the Jaguar will wake up,” he said.
He also warned that Trump’s threats could have serious repercussions.
“Attacking our sovereignty is declaring war, do not damage two centuries of diplomatic relations. You have already slandered me, do not continue there. If a country has helped stop thousands of tons of cocaine so that North Americans do not consume it, it is Colombia,” he concluded.
Petro’s statement comes after comments by Trump in which he assured that the South American nation could also be the target of aggression from his government. “I have heard that Colombia produces cocaine. They have cocaine manufacturing plants and then they sell it to us (…) Anyone who does that and sells it in our country is exposed to attacks,” said the US president quoted by local media.
Petro, who adopted a very critical stance towards immigration policies and those used against drug trafficking by the United States, also considers that the bombings of civilian boats by the armed forces of that country constitute crimes and has described Trump as a “murderer.”
Last October, the Colombian president was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department when he was included on the list of the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Petro described the action as retaliation for his complaints against the current administration in Washington, while ensuring that his government is the one that most effectively combats drug trafficking.
As recently disclosed, since 2022, authorities report the seizure of 7,279 tons of illicit drugs and only during this year the seizure of more than 820 tons of cocaine was achieved.
