Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated on Monday that he would against the United States should it launch an attack on his nation, in response to U.S. military operations in Venezuela and the detention of President Nicolás Maduro.
Petro—once a member of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group that disbanded in the early 1990s—made these comments in a after President Trump indicated Colombia might be the next focus of his administration’s anti-drug campaign.
“While I have never served in the military, I understand war and secrecy,” Petro wrote in a post (translated from Spanish to English). “Since the 1989 Peace Pact, I swore I would never pick up a weapon again—but for my homeland, I will take up arms once more, even though it is something I do not wish to do.”
Petro also denied Trump’s claims that he is
“I am neither illegitimate nor a drug trafficker,” he wrote. “My only asset is my family home, which I still pay for using my salary. My bank statements have been made public, and no one can claim I have spent more than I earn. I am not greedy.”
Petro’s statements followed that occurred aboard Air Force One on Sunday.
He cautioned that Colombia is “also very troubled” and is “led by a disturbed individual who enjoys producing cocaine and selling it to the U.S.—and he won’t be able to keep doing that for much longer.”
has “cocaine production facilities and factories.”
When asked point-blank if the U.S. would conduct an operation in Colombia, Trump responded, “That sounds appealing to me,” before shifting to once more show interest in .
Trump’s warnings mirrored comments he made in December (as previously reported by ) where he told Petro he “ought to wise up” or face the risk of being the next target.
Trump has previously called Petro an “illegal drug trafficker” and later doubled down, referring to the Colombian leader as a “lunatic.”
Petro has been among Trump’s most vocal critics in the region, denouncing U.S. airstrikes on what he characterized as suspected . He earlier stated that many of those killed in the strikes were “impoverished fishermen” who were pushed into the drug trade out of necessity.
In November, he and temporarily suspended intelligence sharing with Washington.
Colombia’s drug trade is primarily controlled by illegal armed groups, such as the Gulf Clan, the ELN, and dissident FARC splinter groups.
Petro cautioned that would drive rural communities toward radicalization, noting that campesinos would turn into “thousands of guerrillas in the mountains.”
As previously covered by Digital, the visa due to alleged “reckless and inflammatory actions.”
“Earlier today, Colombian President @petrogustavo stood on a New York City street and encouraged U.S. soldiers to defy orders and incite violence,” stated a post on the X account at the time. “We will revoke Petro’s visa because of his reckless and inflammatory actions.”
Digital has contacted the White House to request a comment.