Colombian President Petro Says ICE 'Operates In The Same Way As The Nazi And Italian Brigades'

Colombian President Gustavo Petro says ICE "operates in the same way as the Nazi and Italian brigades" as he continues to criticize the Trump administration despite a recent phone call that defused tensions between the two heads of state.

Speaking to the BBC, Petro said the body's crackdown has "reached the point where they don't just persecute Latin Americans on the streets, which for us is an affront, but also kill citizens of the U.S."

Petro appeared to make reference to the killing of Renee Good, which has been dominating the public conversation in the U.S. and has catalyzed protests across the country, as well demands from lawmakers. "In the next few days, we will be having conversations about a strong and forceful and appropriate response by House Democrats," said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Petro has gone back to criticizing the United States over the past days after a phone call with Donald Trump which appeared to defuse tensions between the two. Back then, Trump said it was an "honor" to speak with Petro, while the Colombian president described the conversation as positive and said it helped freeze what he viewed as a real threat of U.S. military action. Petro said the call addressed narcotics policy and Venezuela, as well as broader U.S.-Latin America relations.

However, Petro took little to again slam the U.S., saying Washington will continue to pursue military conflicts abroad as long as its economy remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels.

"As long as the U.S. economy is based on oil and coal, 70% of its energy matrix, it will tend to seek wars for both resources," Petro said in an interview with BBC Mundo, referring to what he described as a structural link between energy dependence and U.S. military action. He added that Venezuela exemplified that dynamic, saying the country's vast oil reserves sit at the center of Washington's pressure campaign.

While Petro said Colombia continues to cooperate with the United States on counter-narcotics efforts, he framed the current moment as a test of whether Washington chooses dialogue and energy transition over military force.