Colombian president Gustavo Petro
Colombian president Gustavo Petro Photo by ANDREA ARIZA/AFP via Getty Images

Colombian President Gustavo Petro again slammed U.S. strikes in the Caribbean as he continues his feud with American counterparts.

This time, Petro posted on social media a New York Times article detailing that bodies had washed ashore in Trinidad and Tobago, a country located less than 10 miles from Venezuela. Most of the attacks conducted by the U.S. have taken place off the South American country's coast.

"They are not war casualties, they are murders. We have to reach an agreement with Latin American and Caribbean countries and redirect the fight against drug traffickers to persecuting them personally, their assets and capital and large seizures," Petro said in a social media post.

It is the latest of several such publications from Petro, who has been repeatedly slammed by President Donald Trump and other high-ranking officials.

On Thursday, Petro accused Trump of wanting to interfere with the South American country's elections next year.

"The magnitude of Trump's insults to Colombia and myself are no longer part of a strategy to target drug-traffickers, but to influence the Colombian elections next year, seeking the victory of the far right. They are actually likely to have ties to drug-trafficking but are obedient when it comes to accepting invasions," Petro said in a social media post, likely referring to the ongoing pressure on the Venezuelan regime, which according to different reports seeks to oust authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in turn, called him a "lunatic."

"The Colombian authorities, when it comes to their military and their police, are still pro-American. The only problem with Colombia is their lunatic president. He's a lunatic, he's not well. Everybody knows that. The Colombian Congress voted to designate the Venezuelan regime as a narco terrorist organization. It is unfortunate they have to deal with this guy until May of next year," Rubio told press, in reference to the country's next presidential elections. The next president is set to take office on August 7.

© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.