Latin American Leaders and Organizations Express Solidarity with Petro Amid Trump’s Attacks

Leaders and organizations from across Latin America expressed their solidarity on Sunday with Colombian President Gustavo Petro after U.S. President Donald Trump accused him of being a “drug trafficking leader” and threatened to impose new tariffs on the South American nation.

President Petro had earlier condemned the killings of fishermen in the Caribbean by U.S. military forces under the pretext of fighting drug trafficking. In response, Trump alleged that Colombia promotes large-scale drug cultivation and that Petro has done nothing to stop it. The U.S. leader also announced the suspension of payments and subsidies that Washington provides to Colombia and later stated that he would unveil new tariffs on Monday.

In this context, former Bolivian President Evo Morales shared a message of solidarity with Petro on his X account. “We express our full solidarity with our brother President Gustavo Petro in the face of the attacks and threats from the President of the United States, Donald Trump,” Morales wrote. “Gustavo Petro is one of the dignified voices seeking peace. Threats against our sister nation, Colombia, are threats against all of the Great Homeland,” he added.

Former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa also expressed support for the Colombian leader through X. “That the most powerful man on the planet is an irresponsible clown should worry all of humanity. Strength, President Petro! Strength, Colombia! Strength, Latin America!” Correa wrote. In another post, he commented on Trump’s threat to forcibly close drug fields in Colombia, stating, “Hopefully, he also closes the noses of his compatriots.”

Celac Social Colombia Backs President Petro

The civil organization Celac Social Colombia issued a statement expressing its “firm support” for the President of the Republic of Colombia and Pro Tempore President of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), Gustavo Petro. The organization “categorically rejected” Trump’s recent remarks, asserting that “he has no moral authority to question Colombia, nor does his Secretary of State, Mr. Marco Rubio. Their statements represent a direct offense to Colombia’s sovereignty and a grave violation of international law and the right to self-determination of peoples.”

Celac Social Colombia emphasized that these statements form part of a long history of aggressions against Latin American sovereignty, citing examples such as the forced separation of Panama on November 3, 1903; the Martyrs’ Day massacre on January 9, 1964; the U.S. invasions of Panama in 1989, Grenada in 1983, and the Dominican Republic in 1965; the intervention in Nicaragua between 1978 and 1990; the coup in Chile in 1973; as well as attempts at intervention and unilateral sanctions against Venezuela and the foreign military presence in Ecuador (Manta Base).

“Added to this are the criminal blockade against Cuba, the attack on Playa Girón in 1961, and Operation Condor, which marked decades of violence and interference in our region,” the organization underlined.

“Under the pretext of the so-called war on drugs, the Colombian people have been subjected to persecution, stigmatization, and a campaign of violence that has cost the lives of many compatriots,” the group stated.

Celac Social Colombia also acknowledged the Petro government’s achievements in the fight against drug trafficking, noting the seizure of more than 2,512 tons of marijuana and cocaine between August 2022 and October 2025 — “an unprecedented figure in the history of our country.”

The organization issued an “urgent and determined call” to CELAC member states and the international community to express solidarity and support for Colombia and President Gustavo Petro.