Colombian President Gustavo Petro has accused the United States of politically aligning with drug trafficking networks in Colombia, intensifying diplomatic tensions as the country moves toward a closely contested presidential runoff election scheduled for June 21.
BOGOTÁ — President Gustavo Petro said on Friday that the United States is supporting figures linked to Colombia’s drug trafficking structures after Washington expressed backing for right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella in the upcoming runoff. The statement follows recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump endorsing the ultra-conservative candidate, which Petro sharply rejected during an interview on Thursday with an international news agency.
Petro stated that political allies of the United States in Colombia originate from what he described as “narcoparamilitary governance,” and referred to them as criminals involved in drug trafficking and violence. He also said he spent a decade in the Colombian Congress investigating alleged links between extreme right-wing political sectors and organized crime networks.
The Colombian president further argued that international actors who claim to combat drug trafficking are instead enabling the rise of individuals connected to criminal structures within political institutions. He also accused Donald Trump of violating a prior bilateral understanding reached during an official visit to the White House in February, in which both sides reportedly agreed to avoid interference in Colombia’s electoral process. Petro said Washington is attempting to impose an ideological framework that divides global politics between submission to external influence and national independence.
Petro has repeatedly criticized U.S. foreign policy, including military operations in sovereign countries, reported extrajudicial killings of suspected drug traffickers in international waters, treatment of migrants within the United States, and the long-standing economic embargo on Cuba. In response, the U.S. administration has taken hostile measures, including previous statements by Donald Trump describing Petro as a “leader of drug trafficking” and the imposition of unilateral financial sanctions, which Washington linked to insufficient cooperation in anti-narcotics efforts.
The political dispute unfolds as Colombia prepares for a polarized runoff election. Abelardo de la Espriella, representing the Homeland Defenders Movement, is set to face Iván Cepeda of the Historic Pact coalition, which is aligned with current governing forces. Neither candidate secured an outright majority in the first round of voting held on May 31, forcing a second vote on June 21 that will determine the country’s next president.
In a separate development, Colombia’s Supreme Court Criminal Chamber upheld a 28-year and three-month prison sentence against Santiago Uribe, brother of former President Álvaro Uribe, for creating and financing a paramilitary group known as The Twelve Apostles.
The court confirmed convictions for aggravated conspiracy to commit a crime and aggravated homicide, linking Santiago Uribe to the formation of the group in Antioquia and the 1994 killing of driver Camilo Barrientos. The ruling is final and cannot be appealed.
Álvaro Uribe described the decision as “devastating” for his family, while President Gustavo Petro said Colombia must “free itself from paramilitary governance.” Defense attorney Jaime Granados said the trial involved “false witnesses” and “media manipulation,” adding that the defense would review the full ruling and dissenting opinions before further action.
The text attributed to human rights defenders described the ruling as a victory for victims’ families, while noting that paramilitary activity continues to generate fear in parts of the country, with the conviction bringing limited relief to those affected by the Twelve Apostles group.
Granados maintained that his client was “unjustly convicted” after years of legal proceedings and said all available legal avenues would be explored. The case also forms part of broader allegations concerning links between political and economic elites and paramilitary structures during Colombia’s conflict period in the 1990s and 2000s, including past accusations related to the El Aro massacre during Álvaro Uribe’s tenure as governor of Antioquia.
