Colombian President Gustavo Petro pushed back on Secretary of State Marco Rubio, rejecting claims that he is refusing to cooperate with the U.S. while other Colombian authorities are willing to collaborate. Petro accused Rubio of relying on false information from political interests tied to narcotrafficking aimed at undermining U.S.–Colombia relations.
Petro emphasized that under Colombia’s 1991 constitution, he is the supreme commander of the military and police. He said several intelligence colonels had been removed from the national police for providing false information against the state and warned that foreign actors should not trust these narratives.
Citing his record, Petro said his administration carried out the largest cocaine seizure in history, halted coca cultivation, and launched a voluntary crop substitution program covering 30,000 hectares. He said Colombian forces, under his orders, retook El Plateado in Cauca, a major cocaine hub, and conducted operations against armed groups in compliance with humanitarian law.
He warned that arresting a president supported by a large portion of the population would provoke unrest and ordered any member of the security forces who prioritizes U.S. allegiance over Colombia’s flag to leave their post. Though he vowed after the 1989 peace pact never to take up arms again, he said he would do so if the country’s sovereignty were threatened.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro on X
