MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Trump confirms new tariffs for Colombia

Petro “is a low-rated and very unpopular leader with a fresh mouth toward America,” Trump stressed

US President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that the US was preparing to announce significant tariffs on Colombia, following the Republican leader's decision to suspend financial aid to the South American country due to its alleged inaction in the fight against drug trafficking

In addition, Trump accused Colombian President Gustavo Petro of being a “drug trafficking leader.” The former guerrilla fighter called Trump “rude and ignorant towards Colombia” and asserted that he was “the main enemy of drug trafficking” in his country.

The renewed tensions follow a military deployment ordered by Trump in the Caribbean in August and a previous tariff threat in January over Petro's initial refusal to receive deported migrants. The US has already been applying a 10% base tariff to Colombia since April as part of its trade war.

“President Trump is tougher than any other president in our history, and he informed me that he is going to attack Colombia, not only its drug traffickers, but also where it hurts the most: in the pocketbook. He will announce significant tariffs against Colombia today or tomorrow,” Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on social media. “I read Senator Graham's statement, and it is correct,” Trump said.

Mr. Trump accused Colombian President Gustavo Petro in a post on Truth Social of “encouraging the massive production of drugs, in big and small fields.”

“It has become the biggest business in [Colombia], by far, and Petro does nothing to stop it, despite large-scale payments and subsidies from the USA that are nothing more than a long-term rip off of America,” Trump posted. “AS OF TODAY, THESE PAYMENTS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT, OR SUBSIDIES, WILL NO LONGER BE MADE TO COLOMBIA,” he added in capital letters.

Petro accused the US of killing a fisherman in an attack in the Caribbean. He also claimed that Colombian nationals were on board the boats targeted by US forces in the Caribbean.

“Petro, a low-rated and very unpopular leader, with a fresh mouth toward America, better close up these killing fields immediately, or the United States will close them up for him, and it won't be done nicely,” Trump also warned. Petro is Colombia's first-ever leftist elected president. While in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Petro participated in a street protest encouraging US serivepeople to “disobey” Trump's orders, which prompted the State Department's revoking his visa.