The United States announced sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Friday, the 24th. The measure also applies to the president's wife and son, as well as Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, Petro's right-hand man.

“President Petro has allowed drug cartels to thrive and has refused to stop this activity,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

President Donald Trump had already stated that Colombia would no longer receive American subsidies. In a post on the social network Truth Social last Sunday, the 19th, he justified the decision by saying that Gustavo Petro is a leader in drug trafficking,"who strongly encourages the mass production of drugs." The White House chief, however, did not present evidence to support his accusations.

"President [Donald] Trump is taking strong action to protect our nation and make clear that we will not tolerate drug trafficking into our country," he added.

The Colombian president refuted the accusations and stated that the economic sanctions were imposed by the US despite him “fighting drug trafficking for decades,” and announced that he will not take “even one step back.”

"Fighting drug trafficking effectively for decades brings me this measure from the government of the society we have helped so much to curb cocaine consumption," Petro wrote on the X network."Not a step back and never on our knees," he added.