Washington , 23 October (H.S.): A war of words erupted on Wednesday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, escalating already fraught relations over drug trafficking policy and culminating in a U.S. military strike in the Pacific that killed two people.
President Trump launched a scathing attack, labeling his Colombian counterpart a thug and implying his involvement in the drug trade. This prompted a defiant response from President Petro, a leftist leader, who announced his intention to seek legal recourse in American courts.
I will defend myself legally with American lawyers, Petro declared in response to what he termed slanders.The verbal sparring intensified just as the U.S. announced its first strike on a vessel suspected of smuggling drugs, a move that resulted in two fatalities.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike on social media, stating that two narco-terrorists were killed and warning there would be no refuge or forgiveness. This incident brings the total number of such U.S. attacks to at least eight, with a death toll of 34, according to official figures.
The Pentagon has informed Congress that it is in an armed conflict with Latin American drug cartels, designating them as terrorist groups and their members as unlawful combatants.
This classification has been met with criticism from experts who argue that such summary killings are illegal, even if the targets are confirmed traffickers.The diplomatic fallout from these developments has been significant, with Colombia recalling its ambassador to Washington.
The strike has also drawn condemnation from Venezuela, which accused the United States of plotting to overthrow its government. While Colombia is the world’s leading producer of cocaine, it has historically cooperated with the U.S. in counter-narcotics efforts.
However, the relationship has deteriorated under the leadership of Trump and Petro. Despite the tensions, Petro affirmed that when our help is needed to fight drug trafficking, US society will have it.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
