Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Petro Pushes Back Against Trump’s Claims


(MENAFN) Colombian President Gustavo Petro delivered an extensive counterargument on Wednesday to US President Donald Trump, asserting that Trump is relying on “complete misinformation” regarding Colombia’s campaign against drug trafficking.

Earlier in the day, Trump had cautioned that Petro “will be next” amid growing friction with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Trump — who has consistently criticized Petro and branded him an “illegal drug dealer” — intensified his remarks by declaring that the Colombian president “is going to have himself some big problems if he doesn’t wise up,” while also accusing Colombia of running “cocaine factories” that send narcotics straight to the United States.

In response, Petro issued a detailed message on the platform owned by the US social media company X, describing Trump as “a man very misinformed about Colombia” and arguing that his statements reflect “disrespect toward a democratically elected president” and toward the nation itself.

“It’s a shame, because he dismisses the country that knows the most about cocaine trafficking,” Petro wrote. “It seems his advisers deceive him completely.”

Petro also commented on his ideological disagreements with Washington concerning Venezuela, emphasizing that the country’s central challenge is a “lack of democracy, not narcotics.”

He noted that he collaborated with President Joe Biden for two years to pursue a peaceful strategy for Venezuela, which included forming a transitional administration followed by open elections.

He further cautioned that any US-led military intervention in Venezuela “would burn all of South America, including Colombia,” jeopardizing democratic collaboration throughout the continent.

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