Colombian President Gustavo Petro issued a blunt and defiant challenge to President Donald Trump this week, delivering a three-word warning as the Trump administration ramps up aggressive action against drug trafficking networks across Latin America.
“Come get me!” Petro declared, responding to comments from Trump that appeared to hint at potential U.S. action in Colombia. Petro doubled down on the taunt, telling Trump, “I’m waiting for you here. Don’t threaten me, I’ll wait for you right here if you want to.”
Petro went on to draw a sharp line between what he said he would and would not tolerate from Washington. “I don’t accept invasions, missiles, or assassinations, only intel,” Petro said. He added that Trump should come to Colombia for direct talks, claiming he was open to “intelligence” discussions but not military pressure.
“Come speak here with intelligence, and we’ll receive you and talk face-to-face with facts, not lies,” Petro continued. He accused what he called Colombian “political mafias” of misleading the United States and blamed them for decades of violence and inequality, claiming they condemned the country to hundreds of thousands of deaths and extreme economic disparity.
Petro’s outburst came just one day after the United States carried out a daring special forces raid in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on alleged drug trafficking charges. That operation marked a dramatic escalation in Trump’s long-running campaign against narco-states and leaders accused of flooding American communities with illegal drugs.
In the wake of that raid, Trump appeared to signal that other countries in the region could face similar scrutiny. In remarks that drew immediate attention, the president used a blunt two-word description of Colombia’s leadership, calling the country’s leader “sick” and accusing him of enabling cocaine trafficking that harms Americans.
While Trump did not explicitly announce a military operation targeting Colombia, Petro clearly interpreted the comments as a threat. His response underscored rising tensions between Bogotá and Washington at a time when the Trump administration has made clear it is no longer content with what it sees as half-measures in the fight against international drug cartels.
Supporters of Trump’s approach argue that the president is finally confronting the source of the narcotics crisis head-on, rather than merely dealing with its consequences at the U.S. border. They say leaders who bristle at American pressure should instead focus on dismantling the criminal networks operating within their borders.
Petro’s remarks, however, suggest he is eager to cast himself as a defiant opponent of U.S. influence, even as Washington tightens the screws on regimes accused of complicity in drug trafficking. By daring Trump to “come get” him, Petro appeared to be appealing to domestic and regional audiences skeptical of American power, while also testing how far the Trump administration is willing to go.
The exchange highlights the new tone of U.S. policy in the hemisphere following the Venezuela operation. After years of warnings, sanctions and rhetoric, Trump has shown he is willing to back up his words with decisive action. Whether Petro’s challenge is dismissed as bluster or becomes the next flashpoint remains to be seen, but the message from Washington appears clear: the era of tolerance for leaders accused of fueling the drug trade is rapidly coming to an end.
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