US President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that his country had suspended all payments and subsidies to Colombia, hours after a suspected drug boat was destroyed in the Pacific in international waters near the South American country.
"As of today, we have suspended all payments to Colombia," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. (More: Petro to defend himself against Trump after calling him a 'bad guy' and a 'thug'.) The president called Colombian President Gustavo Petro"a thug, a very bad guy," saying his country produces large quantities of drugs that "pass through Mexico and they better watch it," he added. Trump said he would"take very serious measures against him and his country, or against what his country has become, which is a death trap."
EFE
These statements and the announcement of the end of aid come amid escalating tensions between Bogotá and Washington over the US war on drug trafficking. (Also: Colombia reportedly has the door 'open' to a 0% tariff on agricultural products.) The presence of US military ships and aircraft in the waters of the Caribbean Sea and the deadly attacks on vessels that Washington claims are transporting narcotics in these waters have provoked rejection from governments such as those of Colombia and Venezuela, further raising tensions with the Trump Administration. This Wednesday, the Pentagon also announced a new attack against a supposed drug boat, the first in waters off the Colombian coast in the Pacific.
Context of the new tensions
Relations between Colombia and the United States are going through one of their most tense moments in the last decade, following a series of crossed statements that have generated an atmosphere of political, economic and diplomatic confrontation.
The conflict was ignited after Donald Trump's accusations against Gustavo Petro, whom he accused of having ties to drug trafficking. These words provoked an immediate reaction from the Colombian government, which described the accusations as “an unjustified and dangerous attack on bilateral stability”.
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Presidency
Adding to this tension was Washington's decision to cut back on some of the economic and military assistance it traditionally provides to Colombia. Experts consulted by the newspaper EL TIEMPO warned that this measure could be"counterproductive" to U.S. interests, as the Andean country remains a key ally in the fight against drug trafficking and regional stability. Given the increased tension, various Colombian business and political sectors have called on the government to remain cautious and seek diplomatic avenues to avoid a further escalation.
