By Ebi Kesiena
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to increase tariffs on Colombian imports and halt all financial support to the South American country, escalating an ongoing dispute linked to recent U.S. military strikes on vessels accused of transporting drugs.
Earlier, Trump referred to Colombian President Gustavo Petro as an “illegal drug leader.” U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also claimed American forces had destroyed a boat allegedly tied to a Colombian rebel group. Petro disputed the claim, saying the vessel belonged to a “humble family” rather than militants, while his government described Trump’s remarks as deeply offensive.
Relations between Washington and Bogotá have sunk to a new low, with Trump accusing Colombia of complicity in the drug trade. “They don’t have a fight against drugs — they make drugs,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Petro has condemned the U.S. military’s operations in the Caribbean, which have reportedly caused dozens of deaths and fuelled rising tensions in the region. Legal experts and human rights advocates have also criticised the legality and human impact of the strikes.
Trump said all U.S. funding to Colombia would be halted, promising to reveal further details of the tariff increases on Monday. “I’m stopping all payments to Colombia,” he declared, though he gave no clarification on which specific funds would be affected.
Colombia had previously been one of the largest recipients of U.S. aid in the Western Hemisphere, but this support was drastically reduced following the closure of USAID, the U.S. government’s humanitarian aid agency, earlier this year.
At present, Colombian exports to the United States face a 10 percent tariff on most goods, a standard rate imposed by Trump on several nations.
Meanwhile, in a statement, Colombia’s foreign ministry said it would seek international backing to defend both President Petro and the nation’s sovereignty.
“These accusations represent an extremely serious act and undermine the dignity of the president of Colombians,” it said.
