Colombian President warns of real U.S. Military threat amid rising tensions

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has sounded the alarm over what he described as a “real threat” of military action by the United States against Colombia.

He told the BBC that recent comments and actions by U.S. officials pose serious risks to regional stability.

Petro’s warning comes amid a sharp escalation in diplomatic tensions between Bogotá and Washington, triggered largely by U.S. President Donald Trump’s inflammatory remarks suggesting that similar military interventions to those carried out in Venezuela, where U.S. forces struck and captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, could extend to Colombia.

In his interview, Petro accused the United States of treating other nations as though they were part of a U.S. “empire,” warning that such an approach could increasingly isolate Washington on the world stage.

He also sharply criticised U.S. domestic agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), controversially likening some of their operations to historical abuses, remarks that fuelled further diplomatic strain.

The backdrop to Petro’s comments includes Trump’s public suggestion in early January that military action against the Colombian government “sounds good to me,” a remark that Bogotá condemned as an undue and unacceptable interference in its domestic affairs.

Colombia’s foreign ministry said such comments contravene international law and infringe on national sovereignty.

While relations had already been under stress, with Washington revoking Petro’s U.S. visa and imposing sanctions on members of his inner circle in recent months, the prospect of militarised rhetoric marked a significant intensification.

Despite these strains, Colombia’s government has reaffirmed its commitment to continued cooperation with the United States in the fight against drug trafficking, highlighting the long-standing partnership on counternarcotics even as political tensions rise.