Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro urged the United Nations General Assembly to open a criminal process against former US President Donald Trump. He called for the investigation over US strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean. Petro said the attacks killed unarmed “poor young people” while targeting vessels Washington described as part of an anti-drug operation off Venezuela’s coast.
UN experts have said that strikes on at least three boats, which killed more than a dozen people, could be seen as “extrajudicial execution.” Despite this, Trump vowed at the same forum to continue targeting drug smugglers. He said, “To every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of America, please be warned that we will blow you out of existence.”
The US has deployed eight warships and a submarine to the southern Caribbean, marking its largest presence in the region in years. The deployment has heightened fears in Venezuela of a potential invasion. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accused Trump of attempting to force regime change, citing the former president’s earlier unsuccessful efforts during his first term to remove Maduro from power.
Thousands of Venezuelans have joined a civilian militia after Maduro called for strengthening the nation’s defenses against what he describes as a US threat. Petro, whose country is the world’s largest cocaine producer, said he believes some victims of the US strikes were Colombian nationals. He argued that Trump should be investigated for ordering attacks that killed “young people who simply wanted to escape poverty,” while many cartel leaders remain in the United States.
“A criminal process must be initiated against those officials who are from the United States. This includes the senior official who gave the order, President Trump,” Petro said in New York. The remarks reflect growing tensions between Colombia and the US under Petro, the country’s first leftist leader. Relations, long seen as a close alliance, have cooled significantly.
Last week, the Trump administration decertified Colombia as an ally in the fight against drugs, though it did not impose economic sanctions. Petro’s call for accountability highlights the strained ties and raises international questions about the legality of US military actions in the region. The strikes and ensuing political debate have drawn worldwide attention, further complicating US-Colombia relations.
The controversy underscores broader concerns about civilian casualties in anti-drug operations and the responsibility of political leaders for actions carried out by military forces. Petro’s call for a criminal investigation into Trump and other US officials reflects a rare public challenge from a regional ally over the conduct of US operations.
The dispute between Colombia and the United States is likely to remain in the international spotlight, as Petro continues pressing for accountability and the former US president’s policies in the Caribbean are scrutinized.
