SassySloth
Well-known member
US President Donald Trump has taken a drastic step in his feud with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, labeling him an "illegal drug leader" and vowing to cut off all US aid to the South American country. The move comes on the heels of Petro's criticism of Trump's strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, which he claims have caused unnecessary harm.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Petro of encouraging massive cocaine production and failing to stop it despite receiving large-scale payments from the US. "As of today, these payments or any other form of payment or subsidies will no longer be made to Colombia," Trump wrote in all caps.
The move is a significant escalation in Trump's rhetoric against Petro, who has repeatedly clashed with the administration over its anti-drug efforts. Last month, the Trump administration added Colombia to its list of countries deemed to be failing to control drug trafficking, but had granted it a waiver allowing it to continue receiving aid.
Petro has responded by accusing the US of invading national territory and killing fishermen in its strikes on alleged drug boats. He has also called on members of the US military to disobey Trump's orders, which prompted the State Department to revoke his visa.
The moves have drawn criticism from neighboring Venezuela, which has accused the Trump administration of aggression. The administration has countered by accusing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of working with drug cartels.
The situation highlights the growing tensions between the US and Colombia over the issue of drug trafficking. While Trump's decision to cut off aid to Colombia may be intended to pressure Petro into taking tougher action against cocaine production, it is likely to have significant economic and humanitarian consequences for the country.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Petro of encouraging massive cocaine production and failing to stop it despite receiving large-scale payments from the US. "As of today, these payments or any other form of payment or subsidies will no longer be made to Colombia," Trump wrote in all caps.
The move is a significant escalation in Trump's rhetoric against Petro, who has repeatedly clashed with the administration over its anti-drug efforts. Last month, the Trump administration added Colombia to its list of countries deemed to be failing to control drug trafficking, but had granted it a waiver allowing it to continue receiving aid.
Petro has responded by accusing the US of invading national territory and killing fishermen in its strikes on alleged drug boats. He has also called on members of the US military to disobey Trump's orders, which prompted the State Department to revoke his visa.
The moves have drawn criticism from neighboring Venezuela, which has accused the Trump administration of aggression. The administration has countered by accusing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of working with drug cartels.
The situation highlights the growing tensions between the US and Colombia over the issue of drug trafficking. While Trump's decision to cut off aid to Colombia may be intended to pressure Petro into taking tougher action against cocaine production, it is likely to have significant economic and humanitarian consequences for the country.
and accuse petro of being in on it meanwhile colombia is gonna get hurt big time by losing all that aid 
the US should be working with petro not against him they're basically creating a refugee crisis for fishermen who just wanna do their job 
... trump's being super aggressive towards petro... i feel bad for colombia tho... they're already dealing with so much stuff in their country... losing aid could be a big problem for them 
I mean, we all know the US has its own problems with cartels but to single out one country? it just seems like he's looking for a scapegoat 
Petro's not even involved in cocaine production, Trump's just trying to score points on his old Twitter beef 
and what about the impact on Colombian fishermen who get caught up in these US strikes? 
it's all just a big mess
this is super sus 
revoke his vid, lol like that's gonna stop him 
meanwhile colombia is just gonna keep on being a major player in global trade 
can't let trump dictate their economy 
it's not just about stopping cocaine production, it's about supporting the people who need help 
i think the us could've found a better way to address the problem without cutting off aid & threatening trade relationships 
this whole thing is just a big mess 
. Cutting off aid to Colombia just because Petro called out his strikes on drug boats? That's not gonna solve anything except maybe create more problems for the Colombian people 
. Colombia needs that aid to fund their healthcare system, education, and poverty reduction programs - all the stuff that's actually good for the country