Petro Shrugs Off US Aid Threat, Warns Military Cuts Would ‘Hurt’ Colombia

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has downplayed US President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend American aid, saying that the financial cutoff will have little practical effect, but acknowledged that losing US military support would be another matter.

“What happens if they take away aid? In my opinion, nothing,” Petro told reporters Thursday, noting that much of the funding “moves through US agencies and employs Americans.”

Still, he added, “in military aid, we would have some problems,” citing the loss of US-supplied helicopters as the most serious consequence.

Fraying Partnership

The remarks follow Trump’s weekend threat to raise tariffs on Colombian imports and his claim Wednesday that all US funding to Colombia had been halted.

Once one of Washington’s closest partners in Latin America, and a top recipient of US aid, Colombia saw that flow abruptly curtailed this year after the closure of USAID, the United States’ main humanitarian arm. Military cooperation has, until now, continued.

Trump’s administration has already “decertified” Colombia’s anti-narcotics efforts, allowing for potential deeper funding cuts. Yet some US troops and intelligence-sharing programs remain in place.

Drug War and Diplomatic Fallout

Petro has been a sharp critic of US military strikes on vessels in the Caribbean, attacks that Washington claims target “narco-terrorists” but which have killed dozens and drawn condemnation from legal experts and human rights groups.

Trump retaliated with personal insults, calling Petro an “illegal drug leader” and a “bad guy.” Bogotá denounced the remarks as “offensive” and recalled its ambassador from Washington, though Petro later met with the US charge d’affaires in Bogotá to ease tensions.

Economic Stakes

Despite Trump’s tariff threats, Petro said he doubts the White House will target Colombia’s oil and coal exports, which account for 60 percent of its sales to the US. He suggested that tariffs on other goods could be absorbed by diversifying trade toward new markets.

Analysts warn, however, that higher tariffs could undermine legal exports and inadvertently fuel drug trafficking, reversing decades of US policy that linked trade liberalization to anti-narcotics goals.

Petro pointed out that his administration has seized a record 2,800 tonnes of cocaine in three years, much of it from Pacific ports used for smuggling.

He also accused Trump of weaponizing foreign policy to boost Colombia’s far right ahead of next year’s elections.