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

US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will no longer provide subsidies to Colombia, a move he claims is necessary due to the country's failure to curb cocaine production and its alleged support for "massive" drug trafficking. In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump labelled Colombian President Gustavo Petro as an "illegal drug leader", citing US intelligence that a submarine attacked by the US Navy was loaded with Fentanyl and other illicit narcotics.

The move comes after Petro had accused the US of violating Colombia's sovereignty in September when American forces allegedly killed a fisherman in territorial waters. The incident sparked tensions between the two countries, with the Colombian government accusing the US of targeting innocent fishermen for alleged ties to the drug trade.

The decision to end aid to Colombia is part of an escalating row between Trump and Petro, who has accused Trump of trying to turn Venezuela into "an American colony" over claims that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government is involved in sending drugs to the US. The US president has authorized CIA covert operations against Venezuela, sparking concerns about a potential military intervention.

Colombia has struggled with cocaine production, and according to the State Department, the country failed to meet its coca eradication goals last year. However, Petro's administration has implemented new policies aimed at reducing production, including increased security measures and cooperation with neighboring countries.

The decision to cut aid to Colombia has raised concerns about the potential impact on the country's economy and the environment. The US provided over $740m in aid to Colombia in 2023, which could be significant if all of it is discontinued or suspended indefinitely.

In addition to its row with Venezuela, Trump's administration has been ramping up efforts to combat the US illicit drugs trade, including a series of naval strikes on ships carrying narcotics. However, these actions have sparked controversy among human rights experts, who argue that they amount to extrajudicial killings and violate international law.

Trump's aggressive stance on Colombia and Venezuela comes as the US presidential election approaches, with some analysts suggesting that his tough-on-drug-trafficking rhetoric may be part of a broader strategy to appeal to conservative voters.

Wow ! I'm shocked that Trump is ending aid to Colombia over cocaine production. Like, isn't that just another example of how US foreign policy can get super complicated? Interesting . How do people in Colombia feel about this move? Are they going to lose millions in aid and what does that mean for them?

omg u guys remember when colombia was like super supportive of us back in 2016? they were all about strengthening our trade and security ties but now trump's all like "hey, colombia's a no-go" because of some intel that supposedly shows colombian president petro is involved with fentanyl like, isn't that just a huge accusation? and what about the fact that us forces killed a fisherman in territorial waters last year? wasn't that like, super suspicious too? it's all getting really complicated and i'm low-key worried about how this might affect colombia's economy

I'm low-key worried about this whole thing , you know? I mean, Trump's just playing the "tough guy" card again and it's getting old . Colombia's already struggling with cocaine production and now he's cutting off aid? That's gonna hurt a lot of innocent people, fam .

I'm also thinking about Venezuela and how Trump's actions are just fueling more drama . Petro's not wrong when he says the US is trying to turn his country into an "American colony" – it's like, come on, man, let's focus on solving actual problems instead of stirring up trouble .

And what about those CIA covert ops in Venezuela? That's just a recipe for disaster . I'm all for taking down cartels and stuff, but we gotta do it the right way – with due process and international law, you feel me?

Ugh, Trump is just doing this because he wants to sound tough for the next election . Like, come on, a submarine full of Fentanyl? That's not even credible . And what about the whole fisherman thing in September? That was some serious escalation, and now Colombia is losing aid . I get that they have a problem with cocaine production, but this is just more US-style interventionism . We're always poking our noses into other countries' business, when really we should be focusing on our own issues at home . And what's up with the CIA covert ops in Venezuela? That's just setting the stage for disaster . Can't Trump just keep his mouth shut and let the experts handle it?

omg u guys did u no that trump is literally ruining relationships with other countries?? like colombia is a total innocent victim here trump just blaming them for all this cocaine drama & labeling petro as an "illegal drug leader" lol what a joke i mean we should b supporting petro not trump he sounds so extra & paranoid anyway i hope the us doesn't cut aid to colombia cuz that would be super bad 4 their economy

I'm totally against this decision by Trump . Like, I get it, Colombia's got its issues with cocaine production and all, but cutting off aid is not the solution . It's gonna hurt the everyday Colombians who don't have a say in the whole thing . And what about Petro's new policies? Should we just write him off because of some intel that says he's "illegal"? Not fair at all . This feels like a classic case of 'shoot the messenger' . We need to focus on finding real solutions, not just blaming everyone and cutting off aid .

man I'm shocked , US cutting aid to Colombia over cocaine production? it just don't add up... Petro's got some good policies in place , like increased security measures and cooperation with neighbors. and now they're gonna pull the plug on all that? it's like Trump is trying to create a whole new crisis out of thin air . I mean, what's next? cutting aid to Mexico too? or Venezuela? we gotta keep an eye on this one

OMG, this is so whack!!! Trump thinks he can just label anyone an "illegal drug leader" and get away with it? Like, Gustavo Petro's trying to help his country deal with the real issue here, cocaine production, and Trump's over here making it personal. And now Colombia's economy could be in shambles because of this? It's not even about the Fentanyl or whatever, it's just a power play by Trump to look tough for his base. Newsflash, Donnie: the US is still a major consumer of illicit drugs and your Navy can't even stop a submarine attack?! What's next, you gonna start attacking Venezuela too? The whole thing reeks of desperation and a need to distract from Trump's own failures.

Colombia's got more problems than just cocaine

This move by Trump is so sketchy . On one hand, I get why he's worried about cocaine production and the impact on US citizens. Colombia has been a major hub for cartel activity, and it's not like they've had success in curbing it. But to call Petro an "illegal drug leader" and make such aggressive claims? That's just inflammatory . It feels like Trump is trying to deflect attention from his own policies on Venezuela while stirring up more drama with Colombia.

And what about the impact on Colombia's economy and environment? If all that aid is cut off, it could lead to some serious consequences for their farmers and fishermen. Not to mention the potential human rights implications of any increased military action . Trump's stance seems like a classic example of a "us vs them" mentality, rather than a nuanced approach that actually addresses the root causes of the problem.

I'm curious to see how this all plays out in the lead-up to the election and beyond . Will Trump stick to his guns or try to dial it back? Only time will tell .

The whole situation sounds super dodgy to me. I mean, Trump says Petro is an "illegal drug leader" but where's the proof? That submarine attack stuff just seems like a major fabricated excuse for Trump to start flexing his muscles. Colombia's not even the biggest producer of coca or Fentanyl - Venezuela and Mexico are way bigger than that .

I'm also super concerned about Petro's side of things... if Trump is accusing him of violating sovereignty, why hasn't he done anything about it before? It just feels like a huge power play by Trump to distract from the real issues. And let's not forget about those naval strikes on ships carrying narcotics - that's straight-up inhumane and a serious human rights violation .

Aid to Colombia is gonna have some pretty significant consequences, especially for the environment. Who knows what kind of ripple effects this will have? I'm all for tackling the US illicit drug trade, but Trump's approach just feels super hasty and reactive. What does he even propose as an alternative solution?

This is just another example of Trump's ego getting in the way of diplomacy... like always. Colombia and Venezuela are already dealing with their own issues, don't need the US breathing down their necks. Fentanyl submarine thingy sounds like a total fabrication to me... what's next, claiming aliens are smuggling weed?

Colombia has been trying to curb cocaine production, I get it. But cutting off aid won't solve anything except maybe Trump's ego. Petro might be a polarizing figure, but he's not the one causing the problems here. And another thing, what about all those innocent fishermen caught in the middle of this?

something don't add up here... Trump is trying to play the victim on cocaine production in Colombia but what about all those naval strikes on ships carrying narcotics? That sounds like a clear case of extrajudicial killings to me... and now he's gonna cut off aid to Colombia just because Petro called out some US actions? This is just another example of Trump trying to distract us from his own questionable policies, like that whole Venezuela thing... I mean, what's really going on over there?

I'm really worried about this move by Trump. He's always been super vocal about his views on Colombia and now he's threatening to cut off billions of dollars in aid . It sounds like he's more interested in scoring points with his base than actually making progress on the issue of cocaine production. Gustavo Petro seems like a pretty reasonable guy who just wants to address the country's problems, but Trump is determined to paint him as some kind of "illegal drug leader" . I mean, what even is the point of this? Colombia's got some serious issues with crime and corruption, but do we really need to cut off all aid at once? It just seems like a huge mistake waiting to happen...

just heard that the US is ending subsidies for Colombia, citing cocaine production and alleged drug trafficking support... like this is new? Colombia's been struggling with these issues for decades, and now they're gonna pay the price because Trump's all bent outta shape over Venezuela... what a perfect storm of US vs. South America tensions... this guy's got some serious issues with national sovereignty... Fentanyl's just the tip of the iceberg, folks... how many innocent lives are gonna get caught in the crossfire?

man this is like really deep what trump is doing he's all about taking out the trash but at what cost ? Colombia's struggling and petro's trying to do something about it, but trump's just gonna cut aid ? that's like saying " screw you" to a country's economy and environment... meanwhile trump's got his own problems with venezuela and maduro and now he's throwing that into the mix too what's really going on here? is it all just some big game of geopolitics or is there something more to it? and what about those fentanyl and narcotics, are they just random stuff or is there a bigger picture at play ? this whole thing has me thinking...