Trump ends aid to to Colombia, calls country's leader a 'drug leader'

US President Donald Trump has announced that the US will no longer provide subsidies to Colombia, citing the country's failure to stop large-scale production of cocaine. In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump labelled Colombian President Gustavo Petro as "an illegal drug leader" who has "strongly encouraged the massive production of drugs in big and small fields all over Colombia".

The decision comes after Petro accused the US of committing murder when it carried out a military strike on a boat in Colombian territorial waters in September. The US had provided over $740m (£551m) in aid to Colombia in 2023, according to a government website.

Trump's comments mark the latest escalation in tensions between the two countries. In recent weeks, Trump has ramped up threats against Venezuela's leadership over claims that the country is sending drugs to the US. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has accused Trump of trying to make the South American nation "an American colony".

The move also comes after a submarine attack on the Caribbean Sea, which killed at least six people and injured two others. The survivors were transferred to a US Navy ship, Ecuadorian authorities reported.

Human rights experts have described the US strikes as "extrajudicial executions". UN-appointed experts have condemned Trump's actions, calling for greater transparency and accountability in US foreign policy.

The decision to end aid to Colombia has sparked concern among politicians and analysts. The US had previously provided support to Colombia in its efforts to combat narco-trafficking, and the move is seen as a significant blow to the country's counter-narcotics efforts.

Trump's comments have been widely condemned by Colombian officials, who described them as "unacceptable" and "baseless". Petro has accused Trump of trying to undermine Colombia's sovereignty and stability.

man this is crazy colombia is already dealing with so much drama in their country what does trump need to do now? he's just gonna cut off all that aid they were using it to fight narco-trafficking not good for the people of colombia or venezuela
i feel bad for petro and maduro they're just trying to lead their countries but trump is making things worse instead of better
can't we all just get along? foreign policy should be about diplomacy not bullying and threatening other nations

omg this is getting serious ️ like trump is literally attacking colombia on his truth social post and now theyre pulling out the whole aid thing its crazy what a mess and honestly who knows whats going on with petro and Maduro but it feels like theyre both just trying to spin the situation to get sympathy anyway anyone else think this is gonna escalate into something big?

so it's because the US thinks Colombia isn't doing enough on their own to stop coca production? like, what's next? them just gonna cut aid everywhere and expect countries to solve all their problems without any help? also, who does trump think he is, basically accusing another country's president of being a "drug leader"? sounds like someone trying to deflect from their own issues

OMG, like, can't believe what's going on with the US and Colombia ... Trump is literally throwing shade at Gustavo Petro and now they're cutting off funding? What a coincidence that happens right after the submarine attack... I mean, it's not like they have any ulterior motives or anything. The UN experts are calling out Trump for his actions, but I'm sure he'll just tweet something about "fake news" and move on . Anyone else think this whole thing is getting a bit... suspicious?

It's crazy what's happening with these US presidents , I mean, I remember when Obama was in office, he had a similar problem with narco-trafficking, but at least he didn't just tweet about it . Trump's comments are super harsh, like, come on man, how can you just call someone an "illegal drug leader" over the phone? That's not even diplomacy anymore. And what's with all these threats against Venezuela and Colombia? It feels like a never-ending game of chicken, but we're the ones who end up getting hurt in the middle .

this is total crazy talk from trump. like what even is the point of ending aid to colombia? it's not like they're just sitting around twiddling their thumbs while cocaine gets produced all over the country. the us was already providing a huge amount of funding, and now it's all being taken away? it's not like trump has any solutions or plans in place for addressing the narco-trafficking issue.

and let's talk about how trump is basically calling colombian president petro an "illegal drug leader". what even is that? is he seriously trying to demonize someone over a few words? and what's with all these accusations of murder from both sides? it's just escalating tensions and making things worse.

the thing is, we need more transparency and accountability in our foreign policy decisions. the us should be working to find solutions to this problem, not just cutting ties with colombia without a plan in place

Ugh, this is getting ridiculous! Trump is like a bad villain from a movie, always stirring up drama and tension wherever he goes. Newsflash, Donald: just because you're the President doesn't mean you can just go around trashing other countries and their leaders on social media. It's so unprofessional and it only serves to destabilize already fragile international relations. Colombia is trying to fight its own narco-problem here, not manufacture cocaine for the US market. And what's with all these accusations of murder? That's just sickening. Trump needs to stop playing politics with people's lives and start focusing on some actual policy changes that benefit everyone, not just his own ego

I think this is a total disaster waiting to happen... US cutting off aid to Colombia? That's just gonna make things worse for the country. I mean, they're already dealing with a huge cocaine problem and now they lose their biggest ally in the fight against narco-trafficking. It's like Trump is trying to create more problems than he's solving. And let's not forget about the whole 'extrajudicial executions' thing... that's just basic human rights 101

I'm literally shaking with rage right now, can't even believe what's happening . Like, how does one person just get so out of control? Trump is literally throwing shade at Colombia and it's like, what's next? Is he gonna declare war on the entire continent?

And don't even get me started on the fact that he's labeling their president an "illegal drug leader" - like, seriously? That's just a baseless accusation with zero evidence. It's all just a big mess of xenophobia and racism .

The US is supposed to be helping Colombia, not attacking them left and right. And now they're taking away the aid that was meant to support their efforts against narco-trafficking? Are you kidding me?! That's like giving a patient medication while also cutting off their oxygen supply

Trump needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror and realize that his actions are having real-world consequences. This is not just some Twitter beef, this is geopolitics . And if we don't stand up for human rights and transparency now, when will we?

omg I'm so worried about colombia right now the US is just going to pull out all their support for a country that's already struggling with narco-trafficking it's like they're making things worse, not better we should be working together to stop the production of cocaine and help the people of colombia, not pulling away I feel bad for president petro he's just trying to do his job but trump's comments are so hurtful can't they just talk to each other like civilized humans?

US aid to Colombia is a bigger problem than the cocaine Need more transparency on who's profiting from these deals

Ugh, this whole thing is just a mess . I mean, come on, Trump, can't you just keep your mouth shut for once? The guy's already got a history of being super divisive and now he's going after the President of Colombia like that? Unbelievable. And to make matters worse, this decision is gonna have some serious repercussions on Colombia, who's really gonna get hurt by it... the people, I guess . It's just one more example of how diplomacy and respect go out the window when you're a "leader" like Trump . Can't we all just try to work together here?

I'm worried about this whole situation between the US and Colombia... I think it shows us that when we're in a disagreement with someone, we gotta try to stay calm and talk it out instead of making threats or accusations. Remember, words can really hurt people's feelings and damage relationships.

It's like when you're arguing with a friend and you say something mean, but then they get all upset and stop talking to you. You don't want that to happen, right? I think we need to try to be more understanding and empathetic towards each other, even if we disagree.

And also, let's not forget that there are real people affected by these actions... the ones who lost their lives in the submarine attack, for example. We should always think about how our words and actions might impact others.