Colombia has sent its ambassador to the US into diplomatic exile after President Donald Trump publicly called its leader an "illegal drug leader" and threatened to cut off aid.
The move comes as tensions between the two countries have escalated following a series of US strikes in Caribbean waters, which Colombia claims are targeting innocent civilians rather than vessels carrying illicit drugs.
Colombia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday that Ambassador Daniel Garcia-Pena had already arrived in Bogota to meet with President Gustavo Petro. The statement said the decision to recall its ambassador was made after Trump's remarks and alleged US actions against Colombian sovereignty.
Petro responded by accusing Trump of making a "threat of invasion or military action" against his country, while Colombia's Interior Minister Armando Benedetti described the US president's comments as an "attack on our nation".
The situation has drawn criticism from many quarters. The US strikes in Caribbean waters have killed dozens of people and are widely seen as a violation of international law.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to accuse Petro of failing to combat drug trafficking, claiming that Colombia needs help to tackle the problem. However, Petro maintains that his government is committed to eradicating the trade but cannot do it alone without support from the international community.
The diplomatic spat has highlighted the increasingly strained relationship between the two countries under President Trump's administration.
The move comes as tensions between the two countries have escalated following a series of US strikes in Caribbean waters, which Colombia claims are targeting innocent civilians rather than vessels carrying illicit drugs.
Colombia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday that Ambassador Daniel Garcia-Pena had already arrived in Bogota to meet with President Gustavo Petro. The statement said the decision to recall its ambassador was made after Trump's remarks and alleged US actions against Colombian sovereignty.
Petro responded by accusing Trump of making a "threat of invasion or military action" against his country, while Colombia's Interior Minister Armando Benedetti described the US president's comments as an "attack on our nation".
The situation has drawn criticism from many quarters. The US strikes in Caribbean waters have killed dozens of people and are widely seen as a violation of international law.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to accuse Petro of failing to combat drug trafficking, claiming that Colombia needs help to tackle the problem. However, Petro maintains that his government is committed to eradicating the trade but cannot do it alone without support from the international community.
The diplomatic spat has highlighted the increasingly strained relationship between the two countries under President Trump's administration.
, I mean, who doesn't know that Petro is a major player in the illegal drug trade? It's common knowledge, right? 
But at the same time, I think it's super unreasonable of Trump to threaten aid if he's just gonna keep saying stuff like that... like, what even is the point of cutting off aid if you're not gonna use it to actually do something about the problem? 
And Colombia's all like "you're attacking our sovereignty" but Petro himself has basically been accused of being a cartel leader by Trump, so who's really in the wrong here? 
!!! Colombia shouldn't have to send their ambassador into exile because of Trump's loose lips, I mean... diplomatic faux pas 
! It's just not right that he's threatening to cut off aid and calling their leader an "illegal drug leader" - like, what even is that? 
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. But honestly, who does Trump think he is?! 
. I know some people are gonna disagree with me on this one, but come on, don't be stubborn, think outside the box for once 
- it's time for the US to put its money where its mouth is and take concrete steps to address the root causes of drug trafficking, rather than just making accusations 
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. Colombia is basically saying "hey, we won't take your trash talk" and I am here for it 
. Petro is totally right about Trump threatening his nation - it's a major red flag 
. And can we talk about how many people have lost their lives in those US strikes? It's disgusting 
. Colombia needs our support, not some condescending words from Trump's mouth 
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It just shows that US and Colombia aren't communicating effectively. And now the ambassador has gone into exile? That's not cool, tbh 
. I get that drug trafficking is a major issue, but using military force isn't the answer 
. I mean, we all know that the US has been doing its fair share of shady stuff when it comes to the war on drugs, but to just attack Colombia like that? No bueno 
. We should all be supporting Gustavo Petro and his efforts to tackle this issue, not criticizing him 
. Can't we all just get along? 
. That's some serious shade right there.
It's like, what are we even doing here? The international community needs to step in and make sure something gets done about this. 
. It could escalate into something much bigger if we don't stay vigilant...
It's so messed up. And I feel for Petro and the Colombian people... they're just trying to do their job and keep their country safe.
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One minute he's being diplomatic, the next, he's calling out someone's entire country? That's not how you build trust or resolve conflicts. The US needs to take a step back and think about what's really going on here. This whole situation is a mess, and I'm not sure anyone's coming out of this with their dignity intact 
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colomia's ambassador getting sent into exile, i mean, that's some drama! and trump being his usual self, saying stuff he wouldn't say in real life lol meanwhile, the us strikes are just like "hey colombia, we're gonna kill some people, don't mind us"