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U.S. Halts Aid to Colombia After Trump Labels Petro a 'Leader of Narcotrafficking'

The rupture puts long-running U.S.-Colombia counternarcotics and development programs in jeopardy.

Overview

  • Trump announced an immediate stop to all U.S. payments and subsidies to Colombia and warned he would move to shut drug-production zones if Bogotá does not do so, saying it "will not be pretty."
  • Colombia condemned the remarks as a threat to sovereignty, said it will take the case to international bodies, and recalled its ambassador in Washington for consultations.
  • The Pentagon confirmed a Caribbean operation that killed three suspected ELN members, while Petro accused U.S. personnel of killing fisherman Alejandro Carranza in or near Colombian waters, a claim Washington disputes.
  • Senator Lindsey Graham said Trump told him he plans to impose significant tariffs on Colombia, signaling additional economic pressure beyond the aid cutoff.
  • The suspension jeopardizes hundreds of millions of dollars in annual U.S. assistance that support anti-drug efforts, rural development, and security cooperation, following last month’s decertification and visa revocations targeting Petro and officials.