Tensions between the United States and Colombia have sharply escalated after Colombian President Gustavo Petro openly dared US President Donald Trump to target him, echoing rhetoric once used by Venezuela’s former leader Nicolas Maduro, before his capture by US forces last week.
Criticising the US military operation in Venezuela, Petro issued a blunt warning on Monday. “Come get me. I’m waiting for you here,” he said, responding to the arrest of Maduro, whom Washington accused of destabilising the region. The challenge has drawn comparisons to Maduro’s own taunts before the US-led operation that ended with his detention.
Warning Of Guerrilla Uprising
Petro cautioned that any similar intervention in Colombia would spark widespread unrest. “If they bomb, the campesinos will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And if they detain the president whom a large part of the country loves and respects, they will unleash the jaguar of the people,” he warned. A former leftist guerrilla fighter in the 1990s, Petro added, “I swore not to touch a weapon again … but for the homeland I will take up arms again.”
The standoff follows remarks by Trump accusing Petro of enabling cocaine trafficking into the United States. “He’s making cocaine, and they’re sending it into the United States, so he does have to watch his a**,” Trump said at a press briefing, also describing Colombia as “very sick” and hinting at further action.
.@POTUS: "The United States proved once again that we have the most powerful, most lethal, most sophisticated, and most fearsome military on planet earth — and it’s not even close... Nobody could've done that." pic.twitter.com/edwbrz1afx
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 6, 2026
Petro Rejects Claims, Targets Rubio
Petro dismissed the allegations, noting that although Colombia remains the world’s largest cocaine producer, there is no evidence linking him personally to the drug trade. In a post on X, he criticised US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accusing him of misreading Colombia’s constitution and relying on information from political interests tied to organised crime.
US–Colombia relations have deteriorated since Trump returned to office last year, despite decades of cooperation in counter-narcotics efforts. The situation worsened further after the Trump administration reportedly sanctioned Petro and members of his family in October over alleged drug links.