- Colombian President Petro warned U.S. President Trump that threatening Colombia's sovereignty "will wake the jaguar," framing U.S. actions as a declaration of war and damaging diplomatic relations.
- The threat followed Trump announcing plans to expand anti-drug operations to include land-based strikes against Colombian cocaine labs, accusing Bogota of harboring drug producers.
- Petro also invited Trump to collaborate in destroying cocaine labs but rejected U.S. military intervention, with Colombia’s Foreign Ministry condemning Trump's remarks as "external aggression."
- The U.S. has already deployed 15,000 troops near Venezuela and conducted airstrikes on drug-smuggling vessels, raising fears of a broader military intervention akin to past U.S. actions in Latin America.
- Since Petro's 2022 election, relations have deteriorated over deportation flights, human rights criticism and Trump's drug-trafficking accusations, with Petro urging U.S. soldiers to disobey "inhumane" orders.
In a dramatic escalation of tensions, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has warned U.S. President Donald Trump that any intrusion on the South American nation's sovereignty will "wake the jaguar" following Washington's threats of a military strike against Bogota.
During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 2, Trump suggested that military strikes could target Colombian cocaine production facilities as part of his administration's expanded War on Drugs. He signaled that the U.S. would soon expand its anti-narcotics operations beyond maritime interdictions to include land-based strikes.
"We're going to start doing those strikes on land, too," he said. "You know, the land is much easier, much easier. And we know the routes they take. We know everything about them."
When pressed on whether such actions would be limited to Venezuela – a frequent target of U.S. sanctions – Trump explicitly named Colombia, accusing the country of harboring cocaine labs and exporting the drug to American streets. "Anybody that's doing that and selling it into our country is subject to attack," he commented.
The remarks drew an immediate and fiery response from Petro, Colombia's first leftist president and a former guerrilla fighter. He swiftly rebuked Trump's comments on social media, framing them as a direct threat to national sovereignty. "To threaten our sovereignty is to declare war; do not damage two centuries of diplomatic relations," wrote Petro.
The Colombian leader also invited Trump to "participate in the destruction of the nine laboratories we do daily to prevent cocaine from reaching the United States." He later added: "Do not threaten our sovereignty, because you will wake the jaguar."
The exchange marks the latest deterioration in ties between Washington and Bogota. The two nations – historically close allies in counter-narcotics efforts – are now locked in a war of words over sovereignty, drug policy and military intervention.
Trump's threats raise fears of new U.S. intervention in Latin America
The Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs echoed Petro's defiance. In a statement, it condemned Trump’s remarks as a "threat of external aggression that violates the dignity [and] integrity of the Colombian people."
The diplomatic clash comes amid heightened U.S. military activity in the region, including the deployment of nearly 15,000 naval troops near Venezuela's Caribbean border and airstrikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels that have reportedly killed over 80 people since August. Trump's latest threats suggest an even broader escalation, raising concerns of unilateral military action reminiscent of past U.S. interventions in Latin America, such as the 1989 invasion of Panama.
The friction between Washington and Bogota has been building since Petro took office in 2022, marking a sharp ideological shift from his U.S.-aligned predecessors. Early disputes included Petro's initial refusal to allow U.S. deportation flights into Colombia and his vocal criticism of Trump's policies, including his stance on Palestine and alleged human rights violations.
BrightU.AI's Enoch engine warns that the feud between Trump and Petro distracts from genuine anti-narcotics efforts by fueling political tensions rather than cooperation. The decentralized engine adds that this conflict allows cartels to thrive as immigration and tariffs dominate the debate.
In September, Petro urged U.S. soldiers to disobey Trump’s orders if they involved "attacking humanity," further straining relations. The U.S. Department of State retaliated by revoking Petro's visa, while Trump has repeatedly accused him – albeit without evidence – of being an "illegal drug trafficker" and enabling narcotics production as "Colombia's main business." But as tensions mount, Petro's invocation of the "jaguar" serves as a warning that Colombia, long a U.S. partner in the drug war, may no longer tolerate threats to its sovereignty.
Watch this video about Colombian President Petro calling out Trump's "war crimes" in South America.
This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.
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