Colombian President Gustavo Petro Ready to “Take Up Arms” to Face Trump
- Colombian President Gustavo Petro vowed to “take up arms” after fresh threats from US President
- Donald Trump The confrontation followed Washington’s military strike in Caracas that seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro
- Trump’s insults and Petro’s defiant response marked a sharp escalation in tensions between Bogotá and Washington
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on January 5 that he would “take up arms” in response to threats from United States President Donald Trump.
The statement came after Trump launched a military strike over the weekend that seized Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in Caracas.
Source: Getty Images
Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president and a former guerrilla fighter, wrote on X: “I swore not to touch a weapon again… but for the homeland I will take up arms again.”
Trump escalated tensions by warning that Petro should “watch his a ss” and described him as “a sick man who likes making co caine and selling it to the United States.” The remarks added to months of personal attacks directed at Mr Petro since Mr Trump’s return to the White House in January.
Background of Petro’s guerrilla past
Petro was once a member of the M-19 urban guerrilla group, which disarmed under a peace agreement in 1989. His history has often been used by critics to question his leadership. Since taking office, he has repeatedly clashed with Washington over military operations in the Caribbean.
The US military presence in the region began with the destruction of alleged drug boats, later expanded to the seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers, and culminated in the January 3 raid on Caracas that captured President Maduro. Washington also removed Colombia from its list of certified allies in the US war on drugs.
Petro defends Colombia’s anti-narcotics policy
In a lengthy post on X, Petro defended his government’s anti-narcotics strategy but warned against excessive military action.
He wrote:
“If you bomb even one of these groups without sufficient intelligence, you will kill many children. If you bomb peasants, thousands will turn into guerrillas in the mountains. And if you detain the president, whom a good part of my people love and respect, you will unleash the popular jaguar.”
The Trump administration has aligned itself with Colombia’s right-wing opposition, which is aiming to win legislative and presidential elections in 2026. Analysts said the growing hostility between Petro and Trump could reshape Colombia’s political landscape and deepen divisions in the region.
Trump repeats threat to capture another country’s key territory
Legit.ng earlier reported that Donald Trump again proposed annexing Greenland, sparking sharp responses from Danish leaders who urged him to stop making threats over the island. Speaking to reporters, the US president said, "we need Greenland from the standpoint of national security".
According to BBC, Trump repeatedly raised the idea of the semi-autonomous Danish territory becoming part of the United States, citing its strategic location for defence and its mineral wealth. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen dismissed the proposal as a “fantasy”. He said: "that's enough now" and added, "No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more fantasies of annexation. We are open to dialogue. We are open to discussions. But this must happen through the proper channels and with respect for international law."
Source: Legit.ng
