Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric toward Colombia on Friday, warning President Gustavo Petro to “be very careful” just hours after Trump claimed responsibility for the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, an operation that remains unconfirmed by independent sources.
Speaking at a press conference following the announcement of Maduro’s alleged detention, Trump accused Colombia of hosting cocaine production facilities and claimed the drugs were being shipped to the United States. Without presenting evidence, he linked Colombia’s drug trade to regional instability and framed it as part of a broader U.S. campaign against narcotics trafficking in Latin America.
Trump’s remarks included a direct warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, signaling that Bogotá could face pressure similar to that applied to Caracas. “He has to be very careful,” Trump said, in comments that immediately drew attention across the region.
The warning was not Trump’s first directed at Petro. Over the past several months, Trump has repeatedly suggested that Colombia could be the next target in his administration’s crackdown on drug trafficking if anti-narcotics efforts do not improve. In previous statements, Trump labeled Petro a “drug leader” and accused his government of encouraging large-scale drug production, claims that Colombian officials have strongly rejected.
Trump has also floated the possibility of imposing tariffs on Colombian exports and suspending U.S. aid, arguing that Bogotá’s approach to combating drug production and trafficking has been inadequate. His statements have included implicit threats of tougher measures should Colombian policies remain unchanged.
The comments came amid heightened regional tensions following reports of explosions and unusual military activity in Caracas tied to the alleged arrest of Maduro. In response, President Petro called on the United Nations to convene an emergency meeting of the Security Council, warning that the situation represented a dangerous escalation.
“There must be an urgent Security Council session following the attack on Venezuela,” Petro said, expressing Colombia’s “deep concern” over reports of explosions and what he described as unusual aerial activity over Venezuelan territory. He cautioned that such developments risk pushing regional tensions to “dangerous levels.”
Colombia has long played a central role in U.S.-backed anti-narcotics efforts, even as cocaine production has surged in recent years, fueled in part by record coca cultivation and shifting trafficking routes. Petro, a former guerrilla and Colombia’s first left-wing president, has advocated a new approach to drug policy, emphasizing rural development and questioning the effectiveness of decades-long militarized strategies—positions that have put him at odds with Washington.
Analysts say Trump’s remarks risk straining U.S.–Colombia relations at a moment of broader uncertainty in the region. With conflicting accounts surrounding events in Venezuela and no independent confirmation of Maduro’s detention, observers warn that sharp rhetoric and threats could further destabilize an already volatile political landscape in Latin America.
