Colombian President Gustavo Petro has struck a deeply emotional and defiant note, saying he is ready to personally defend his country if its sovereignty is threatened. Responding to harsh comments and implied military threats from former US President Donald Trump, Petro said Colombia would not submit to intimidation from any foreign power.
In a series of posts on social media platform X, Petro recalled his own past as a former guerrilla fighter who had laid down arms decades ago in the hope of building peace. He said he never wanted to return to violence, but warned that he would do so if Colombia’s independence or democratic choice was undermined.
Trump had accused Petro of being linked to drug production and suggested that Colombia could face action similar to recent US military operations in Venezuela. Petro rejected the accusations outright, calling them baseless and insulting, and said such rhetoric showed a disregard for Latin American lives.
Addressing Colombians directly, Petro said any attempt to arrest or remove him through foreign pressure would not silence the country. He warned that military intervention would only bring suffering to ordinary people, especially children, and risk pushing the region back into cycles of violence.
The Colombian government later sought to lower tensions, stressing that while political differences exist, cooperation with the US on issues such as drug trafficking would continue. The Foreign Ministry, however, made it clear that Colombia expects respect for its elected leadership and territorial integrity.
Petro’s remarks have resonated strongly at home, where memories of decades-long conflict remain fresh. For many supporters, his words reflected not aggression, but a leader drawing a firm line to protect peace, dignity and national self-respect in an increasingly tense geopolitical moment.
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