Overview
- President Donald Trump announced an immediate stop to all U.S. payments and subsidies to Colombia, labeling Gustavo Petro a leader of narcotrafficking.
- He warned that if Colombia does not shut drug-production zones, the United States will close them unilaterally and hinted at additional economic penalties.
- Colombia recalled its ambassador to Washington and said it will turn to international bodies after rejecting the statements as an attack on national sovereignty.
- Senator Lindsey Graham said Trump plans to impose significant tariffs on Colombia soon, though the timing and scope of the measures were not detailed.
- Tensions follow U.S. Caribbean operations that the Pentagon says killed three ELN-linked suspects, while Petro alleges a separate strike killed a Colombian fisherman, putting counter-narcotics and USAID-funded programs at risk.