The president criticized President Trump, saying the U.S. threat was an unwarranted interference in Colombia’s internal affairs based on international law.
Published January 5, 2026
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he would “take up arms” for his country if necessary because of the United States’ threats against him and the Colombian government.
Petro, a former left-wing militant, said in a social media post on Monday that violent U.S. intervention in Colombia, like the one in Venezuela over the weekend, would spark a backlash.
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“I swore I would never touch a weapon again,” Petro said. “But for the sake of my country, I will take up arms again.”
Petro has emerged as an outspoken critic of US President Donald Trump, who has threatened a possible military attack on Colombia in the name of combating drug trafficking.
The two leaders have frequently exchanged insults, but Trump’s threats have become increasingly hostile in recent days.
The U.S. president said over the weekend that Petro “should be careful what he does” in response to the abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, an act widely considered illegal by international legal scholars. President Trump told reporters on Sunday that a similar operation against the Petro government “sounds like a good thing to me.”
“Colombia is also very sick. It’s run by sick people who like to make cocaine and sell it to the United States, and it’s not going to last very long,” Trump said.
Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned President Trump’s comments, calling them “unwarranted interference in the country’s internal affairs that violates the norms of international law.”
President Trump has accused Petro of facilitating drug trafficking into the United States, a claim that is unsubstantiated and vehemently denied by Petro, insisting that the government has been working to combat drug production while distancing itself from a military approach to the drug war.
“I have tremendous confidence in my guys,” Petro said. “That’s why I called on the people to protect the president from unlawful acts of violence against him.”
