US Republican Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart sparked controversy again by stating that President Gustavo Petro had aligned himself, “in this case, with Hamas terrorists,” in a post on his X. Díaz account.

The Republican House representative expressed concern about what he considers to be the negative influence of the Colombian government and linked it to movements hostile to Israel, according to his message posted online.

Díaz-Balart's statement came amid growing tensions between Washington and Bogotá, especially after Petro named the congressman as the alleged mastermind of a plot backed by sectors of the U.S. right.

This arose after the leak of old audio recordings in which former Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva, promoter of the conspiracy theory, mentions alleged meetings with Díaz-Balart in the United States in search of external political support to destabilize Petro's presidency. Another example of Petro aligning himself with malign actors, in this case with Hamas terrorists https://t.co/E9e4kFrNK1 — Mario Díaz-Balart (@MarioDB) July 25, 2025

The statement comes in parallel with a new budget report presented and approved this week by Díaz-Balart before the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee in which he proposes a cut of up to 50% in non-military aid to Colombia for fiscal year 2026.

The document expresses concern about the ineffective use of U.S. assistance, denouncing levels of drug use, including at"the highest levels of the Colombian government," and warning of the deterioration of national security.