Colombia to Hand Formal Protest to U.S. After Trump Suggests Action Similar to Venezuela Raid

Colombia's foreign minister, Rosa Villavicencio, said the government will formally protest recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump when she meets with John McNamara, the U.S. chargé d'affaires in Bogotá, as diplomatic tensions have been on the rise between both countries following Washington's military operation in Venezuela.

Villavicencio said the meeting is intended to deliver a formal diplomatic note rejecting what she described as insults and threats directed at President Gustavo Petro. "The meeting we will have is precisely to present our note of rejection of these insults," she said, adding that the comments were not only directed at Petro personally but at Colombia's democratic institutions.

She also stressed that Petro is "the democratically elected president, the legitimate president, and the head of the security forces and the state," as La República reports.

Trump, speaking over the weekend after the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, described Colombia as "very sick" and claimed it was governed by "a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States." When asked whether the United States could carry out a similar operation in Colombia, Trump replied, "Sounds good to me."

Petro replied during a public address over the weekend saying:

"If you want to put me in prison, try if you can. Try to get me in an orange jumpsuit. The Colombian people will come out in my defense. These people won't kneel before you. No Colombian is guilty of what happened to your grandfather or your father in Cuba"

Tensions escalated even further on Monday when Petro posted a message on X saying he could consider taking up arms again to defend Colombia's sovereignty. Petro, a former M-19 guerrilla, later defended his government's counternarcotics record and warned that indiscriminate military action could result in civilian casualties and fuel further conflict.

Villavicencio said Colombia is activating diplomatic channels to address the situation, including convening its Foreign Relations Commission and requesting a meeting of the United Nations Security Council. She said Bogotá continues to engage multilaterally and reiterated that any solution in Venezuela must come through dialogue and the autonomous decision of Venezuelans.

Vice Foreign Minister Juana Castro echoed that position, saying Colombia "absolutely rejects any form of interventionism" and reaffirming that Petro's authority derives from the constitution and democratic elections.

Villavicencio also addressed questions about Washington's recognition of Delcy Rodríguez as Venezuela's interim leader, saying Colombia would not take a position. "Only Venezuelans, through their sovereignty, can decide their destiny," she said.