Colombian President Condemns US Airstrikes as 'Act of Tyranny'

Tue Oct 21 2025 03:21:40 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Gustavo Petro criticizes US actions against drug-trafficking boats, suggesting they violate international law and calling for accountability.

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro has denounced recent US airstrikes targeting alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean, calling them an 'act of tyranny' in a BBC interview. He urged for investigations and potential legal action against US officials if Colombians were found to be among the casualties. The strikes, which have reportedly resulted in multiple deaths, have raised concerns regarding their legality under international law. In the context of escalating tensions, Petro emphasized the need for humane approaches to combat drug smuggling.

US airstrikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea are an act of tyranny, Colombia's President Gustavo Petro told the BBC in an interview where he also called for criminal proceedings against US officials if investigations find Colombians were killed in the attacks.

President Donald Trump has cast the strikes, which have reportedly killed 17 since they began this month, as needed to stop the flow of fentanyl and other illegal narcotics into the US.

Legal experts and lawmakers, though, have questioned if they violate international human rights laws.

Why launch a missile if you could simply stop the boat and arrest the crew? said Petro. That's what one would call murder.

Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, Petro said there should be zero deaths in stopping speedboats believed to be involved in drug smuggling.

Petro elaborated, stating, We have a long history of collaborating with American agencies and other agencies of carrying out maritime seizures of cocaine. No one has ever died before. There is no need to kill anyone. He emphasized that the principle of the proportionality of force is violated if you use anything more than a pistol.

The strikes in international waters have primarily focused on Colombia's neighbour Venezuela, according to the Trump administration, but they have provided little information about the targets and individuals killed. Claims that members of the Tren de Aragua gang were on the first attacked boat are controversial.

Democratic lawmakers in Washington have demanded clarity from the White House regarding the legality of the strikes, which United Nations experts describe as extrajudicial executions.

Asked about Petro's comments, the White House responded that Trump was prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice.

In the interview, conducted in New York where dignitaries from around the world have gathered for an annual high-profile United Nations meeting, Petro also accused the Trump administration of humiliating his people and asserted that South American nations would not bow down to the king.

Petro's discourse reflects a wider concern about the implications of US interventionist policies in Latin America, particularly regarding drug trafficking issues.