Colombia's FIRST reaction to Donald Trump's military action threat after US strikes on Venezuela, President Gustavo Petro says....

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he is afraid, days after US President Donald Trump threatened the nation with military action over alleged drug trafficking. He also issued a warning to the US that any attack on Colombia would almost certainly trigger civil war and fuel hostility, ahead of his meeting with the US President in early February.

Colombian President on US military action threat
 
“I’m not going to say that I’m not afraid,” Petro said."That would without a doubt cause a civil war, and also a hostility toward the United States that the United States does not deserve. It would be dumb policy,” he told CBS. The reaction comes as US forces ousted President Nicolás Maduro in neighbouring Venezuela. Trump has since signalled an aggressive approach towards drug-trafficking networks, while also moving to assert control over Venezuela’s oil exports and revive production through US-backed investment.

Petro said his concerns were rooted in what he described as growing militarisation in the region, particularly following US action in Venezuela. He pointed to images of helicopters and missiles and warned that Colombia, which lacks an air-defence system, would be dangerously exposed if tensions escalated further. Trump on Wednesday invited his Colombian counterpart to the White House, just days after threatening him with military action over alleged drug trafficking. On January 3, Trump had warned Petro to “watch his a**”.

US threatens Colombia

Trump ignited controversy after making sharp and unprecedented remarks about Colombia during a brief exchange with reporters. The statements, delivered without elaboration or policy detail, raised concerns about the tone and direction of U.S. rhetoric toward one of its long-standing allies in Latin America. During the exchange, Trump claimed that Colombia is "run by a sick man" and added that its current leadership "won't be doing it for very long." When a reporter followed up by asking whether this suggested a potential U.S. operation in Colombia, Trump responded, "Sounds good to me." Though brief, the comment immediately fueled speculation about possible intervention and prompted widespread criticism. Colombia has historically been a close partner of the United States, particularly in areas such as counter-narcotics operations, regional security, and economic cooperation.

(With inputs from ANI)