US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday the end of financial aid to Colombia due to its inaction in the fight against drug trafficking, and described his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Prieto, as"a drug kingpin."

"Colombian President Gustavo Petro is a drug kingpin who fuels massive drug production in fields large and small across Colombia. It has become by far the biggest business in Colombia, and Petro is doing nothing to stop it despite massive payments and subsidies from the U.S.," Trump wrote on Truth Social.



See more: 'Trump is being hoodwinked by aiders': Petro, after withdrawal of U.S. financial aid

"As of today, these payments, or any other form of payment or subsidy, will no longer be made to Colombia. The purpose of this drug production is the massive sale of product to the United States, causing death, destruction, and havoc," the U.S. president added.

He also threatened that if Petro did not shut down"these fields of extermination immediately," the United States "will shut them down." Trump's statements come a month after the United States removed Colombia from the list of countries that fight against drugs, along with four other nations, for having"manifestly failed" in the last year to comply with its obligations under international anti-narcotics agreements.

In response, Petro stated that his country's military forces would stop depending on weapons from the United States. This decision also comes amid the"armed conflict" that the United States recently declared against drug trafficking, which has included the bombing of up to six alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea.

The deployment of the United States in the Caribbean, which began in August under the justification of combating drug trafficking near the coast of Venezuela, includes the use of North American aircraft and ships. However, it has caused growing tension between Washington and the government of Nicolás Maduro, which sees the operation as a prelude to a possible attack against the country.