The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petrodescribed his United States counterpart, Donald Trump, as a “barbarian” for ordering attacks against small boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, under the pretext of supposedly combating drug trafficking.
In statements to the American media NBC News, the president reiterated his condemnation of the bombings that have left more than 70 dead, without Washington allowing these people to have the right to defense and without evidence that they were linked to drug trafficking.
He considered that Trump is a “barbarian” who “wants to scare us” and stated that the US military deployment in the Caribbean is “without a doubt an aggression against Latin America.”
Petro also made reference to the decision to stop sharing strategic information on security matters with Washington and stated that, otherwise, his country would be collaborating in “a crime against humanity.”
In addition, he spoke about President Trump’s increase in hostilities against his country, since he not only accused Petro of being a “drug trafficker,” but also cut the aid that the United States provided to Colombia.
Intelligence information is not for killing
The president stressed that intelligence information is “fundamental” in the fight against drug trafficking, but asserted that this “is not for killing,” as the US has been doing since its military deployment that began last August.
He added that the people who were on the boats were murdered without due process or “civilizing treatment”, when they had to be captured, investigated and prosecuted to determine their responsibilities, in case they were involved in crimes.
Likewise, he explained that if the attacked boats were really transporting drugs, the victims would be “poor boatmen” who live in conditions of poverty and were hired by drug leaders, who maintain their immune power because they do not travel on those boats.
Petro also highlighted that his Government has seized more cocaine than in any other administration “in world history”, which is why no one can accuse him of being linked to drug trafficking, as Trump declared.
For the head of state, these indiscriminate attacks by Trump on his government show that the American president “is lost” in his analysis of Colombia.
The decision of the Colombian president to suspend the sending of communications and other dealings with US security agencies was added to that of United Kingdomwhich suspended part of its intelligence cooperation with Washington in the face of recent military attacks against ships in the Caribbean. Previously, Petro called the US attacks “murders” and urged Trump to respect international law.
The Venezuelan authorities have also spoken out in rejection of the US actions, denouncing that the military deployment in the Caribbean represents a threat to the country and the region, in addition to ensuring that Washington’s objective is a change of Government and appropriating the nation’s wealth.
