Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticized the U.S. attack on a vessel near the Venezuelan coast, calling it “murder” and saying it “breaks the universal principle of proportionality.”
“This is how you conduct a maritime interdiction. Here’s one with the help of the Colombian Air Force,” he wrote on social media, sharing a post about an incident in the country’s waters.
Petro and his administration have often criticized the U.S. presence in the region. Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio said this week that the U.S. deployment is “disproportionate.”
“There is no doubt that the region’s countries are committed to fighting drug trafficking, but the presence is disproportionate,” Villavicencio said.
Last week, she said she believed the Trump administration would not carry out a military intervention in Colombia. She based this on talks with U.S. officials, including Ambassador John McNamara and U.S. lawmakers who recently visited the country.
“The press has created a narrative that is sowing confusion in the population. From the conversations we’ve had with the ambassador and U.S. lawmakers who visited the country over the past weeks, we concluded there is no such intention,” Villavicencio said.
However, her statement came before U.S. President Donald Trump said that U.S. forces “shot out a drug-carrying boat” coming from Venezuela.
Colombia’s position is not shared by the entire region. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago praised the attack, saying all drug traffickers should be “violently eliminated.”
Kamla Persad-Bissessar said in a statement that the “massacring of our people has been fed by evil cartel traffickers.” She added, “I feel no compassion for them. The U.S. Army should have them all violently eliminated.”
“Illegal drug and arms trafficking has caused death and destruction in our society for the past 25 years,” Persad-Bissessar said. She noted that restricting illegal arms, drugs, and human trafficking could reduce violence in the country and the region.
“God bless and protect the U.S. Army members taking part in the mission. Your efforts will save many lives in our country and the region,” she added.
