In context, on October 23, the president of the United States called a press conference at the White House with the promise of announcing"something important." During the meeting, Trump answered questions from journalists and mentioned the situation in Colombia as one of the current international issues.
Trump's new accusations against Petro and Colombia
Trump didn't miss the opportunity to attack Colombia again. This time, he called the country"a drug den" and said it was "in very bad shape."
"They have a terrible leader there right now, a bad guy, a thug. They're making cocaine at levels we've never seen before, and they're selling it back here, and we're not going to stand for that much longer. Colombia is in very bad shape," Trump told reporters Thursday.
Petro responds to Trump's attack: 'They end up in US hideouts.'
Colombian President Gustavo Petro reacted to the comments, saying that Colombia"is not a drug patrol."
"In fact, drugs produced in Colombia end up in safe houses in the U.S. for the consumption for which they are produced," the president said.
Petro also asserted that governments where drugs are produced and consumed should be able to develop common strategies. One of Trump's premises for carrying out attacks with destroyers and a submarine in international waters has been that drugs arriving by sea kill"300,000 Americans a year."
"It is key that the citizens and the government of the United States can find ways to reduce consumption and read more Gabriel García Márquez," said Petro in response to the offensive strategy of the current administration of the North American country.
The Colombian concluded his response by stating that Colombians have destroyed cartels and will continue to do so."Colombia must separate the mafia from political power and society," he concluded.
The escalating exchange of words between the two leaders: 'Unhinged'
Shortly before the press conference began at the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt assured reporters that the government has not seen"signs of de-escalation" in Petro and called President Petro unhinged.
The Colombian Foreign Ministry revealed that it held a meeting with John McNamara, the United States' representative in charge of business in the country. Present at the meeting were Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio, Colombia's ambassador to the United States, Daniel García-Peña, and Deputy Defense Minister Javier Andrés Baquero.
"The meeting was focused on frank dialogue, where the Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted the need for U.S. President Donald Trump to gain a first-hand understanding of the Colombian situation, particularly the country's commitment to the fight against drug trafficking, as well as its progress and achievements. She also stressed the importance of reactivating existing bilateral mechanisms, such as the High-Level Dialogue with the United States (HLSD) and the Counter-Narcotics Working Group (CNG)," the statement from the organization said.
