Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, announced on Tuesday his security forces will stop sharing intelligence with the United States over US President Donald Trump’s strikes on suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean, which have led to at least 75 deaths since August.
The two nations, once close partners in the fight against drug trafficking, are now witnessing deteriorating relations as Trump’s continued strikes on boats in the Caribbean, which he claims carry drugs by cartels, are being brandished ‘unlawful’ by Colombia, and against human rights.
In a message on X, Petro wrote that Colombia’s military must immediately end “communications and other agreements with US security agencies” until the US ceases its attacks on speedboats suspected of carrying drugs, that critics have likened to extrajudicial executions.
It wasn’t immediately clear what kind of information Colombia will stop sharing with the United States.
Also Read: Trump and Petro clash over drugs and US-Colombia ties
Petro wrote that “the fight against drugs must be subordinated to the human rights of the Caribbean people.” He called for Trump to be investigated for war crimes over the strikes, which have affected citizens of Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia and Trinidad and Tobago.
The US strikes began in the southern Caribbean, but have shifted recently to the eastern Pacific, where the US has targeted boats off Mexico.
In October, the Trump administration placed financial sanctions on Petro and members of his family, over accusations of involvement in the global drug trade.
Petro “has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement after the sanctions were issued Oct 24. “President Trump is taking strong action to protect our nation and make clear that we will not tolerate the trafficking of drugs into our nation.”
The White House had no immediate response to Petro’s latest statements.
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