President Gustavo Petro clashed with the United States government over the possible killing of Colombian citizens in airstrikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean.
In a post on social media platform X, Petro said that indications showed that Colombians were on board at least one of the four ships that have been destroyed by the United States Military since September.
Indications show that the last boat bombed was Colombian with Colombian citizens inside it. I hope their families come forward and report it. There is no war against smuggling, there is a war for oil and it must be stopped by the world. The aggression is against all of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Gustavo Petro
The New York Times reported that two anonymous US officials confirmed that Colombians were aboard a boat that was recently destroyed.
Officially, the White House called Petro’s claims “baseless and reprehensible.”
The United States looks forward to President Petro publicly retracting his baseless and reprehensible statement so that we can return to a productive dialogue on building a strong, prosperous future for the people of the United States and Colombia.
White House Official
In a response to the press statement, Petro demanded that the administration of US President Donald Trump provide details about the people killed in the most recent strike.
The White House should give us information on the people who have died from US missiles, to know if my information is unfounded.
Gustavo Petro
The US military has destroyed at least four boats in the Caribbean and has alleged that they were all drug trafficking vessels, but failed to provide any evidence.
Bogota and Washington DC have been at odds since Trump signed a directive deploying the military against “cartels” in Latin America.
The directive re-established the 1823 Monroe Doctrine, which justified US interventionism in Latin America, and has led to countless coups and invasions.
Trump’s policy is also met with criticism in the US Congress.
Democratic Senator Adam Schiff said that the attacks in the Caribbean are “illegal and risk drawing the United States into another war.”
