Colombian President Condemns US Threats Against Drug Cartels
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Colombian President Gustavo Petro has condemned the statements made by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who warned on Thursday that Washington could act “alone” against drug cartels if Latin American countries do not intensify their fight against these organizations.
In a message posted on social media, Gustavo Petro rejected the idea of unilateral action and advocated for regional cooperation to combat drug trafficking.
“The United States should not go it alone to eliminate drug cartels, as they would not know how to do it,” said the left-wing Colombian leader.
Gustavo Petro believes that the fight against these organizations should be undertaken jointly by countries in the region. “To destroy the mafia cartels, we must act together,” he wrote in a message posted on X.
The Colombian president also emphasized that Latin America had a direct interest in dismantling these criminal networks: “If anyone is interested in the destruction of the cartels, it is Colombia and Latin America.”
Joint Fight Against Drug Cartels
This statement by the Colombian president comes after Pete Hegseth stated at a regional conference in Miami that the United States was ready to “go on the offensive only if necessary” against the cartels.
This warning reflects a toughening of Washington’s rhetoric in the fight against drug trafficking and reopens the debate in the region on the role of the United States and cooperation with Latin American countries in security matters.
In Ecuador, US armed forces carried out military operations on the ground against drug-related organizations for the first time on Wednesday, as part of a coordinated action with local authorities and a broader offensive against what Washington calls “narcoterrorism” in Latin America.
At present, Gustavo Petro’s reaction is one of the first public responses from a Latin American leader to the Pentagon chief’s statements. At the time of publication of this article, there have been no other reactions from leaders in the region.
