Tensions rise as President Donald Trump halts aid to Colombia and threatens “serious action” after Gustavo Petro’s controversial comments on U.S. policy.
President Donald Trump issued a sharp warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Wednesday October 23, 2025, after remarks by the South American leader were widely interpreted in Washington as hostile toward the United States.
In an interview with Univision, Petro suggested that “humanity has a first off-ramp, and it is to change Trump,” adding that “if not, get rid of Trump.” The Colombian president later claimed his statement was taken out of context, insisting he was referring to diplomacy and policy, not a threat.
Trump, however, responded angrily from the White House, calling Petro “a thug and a bad guy” and cautioning that the U.S. would respond forcefully if the Colombian leader continued his rhetoric. “He better watch it, or we will take very serious action against him and his country,” Trump said.
Hours later, Trump announced an immediate embargo on all U.S. financial assistance to Colombia, accusing the South American nation of exploiting American aid. “Payments and subsidies from the USA are nothing more than a long-term rip off of America,” he wrote earlier on Truth Social.
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The diplomatic rift marks one of the most serious downturns in U.S.-Colombian relations in years, as both governments clash over narcotics policy and military operations.
Since September, U.S. forces have conducted nine strikes targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the East Pacific, resulting in at least 35 deaths. Petro has condemned the operations as violations of Colombian sovereignty, alleging one of the vessels hit in mid-September was a disabled Colombian boat displaying a distress signal.
“U.S. government officials have committed murder and violated our sovereignty,” Petro wrote on X last week.
Trump responded by accusing Petro of “encouraging the massive production of drugs in big and small fields,” warning that “the United States will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely.”
The dispute deepened when Petro, speaking during the UN General Assembly in New York, urged members of the U.S. military to “disobey the orders of Trump and obey the orders of humanity.” The State Department subsequently revoked his U.S. visa, escalating tensions further.
While Colombia has long been a key American ally in counter-narcotics operations, analysts say the new confrontation could jeopardize billions of dollars in military and development cooperation.
Neither Colombia’s foreign ministry nor the White House offered additional comments on whether formal diplomatic measures are being considered.
