Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Monday that he is willing to “take up arms” in response to what he called threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. The statement came just days after a U.S. military operation in Venezuela led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, a close ally of Petro.
Petro made the comments in a post on X, formerly Twitter. He wrote, “I swore not to touch a weapon again… but for the homeland I will take up arms again.” Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing president, is a former member of the M-19 guerrilla group, which disarmed in 1989 as part of a peace deal with the government.
WAR OF WORDS: Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he would “take up arms” against the U.S. if it attacks his country after President Trump suggested Colombia could be the next target in his administration’s war on drugs. pic.twitter.com/X7ot7CWLle
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 6, 2026
The comments follow rising tensions between Colombia and the United States, especially since President Trump returned to office in January. Trump and Petro have exchanged heated words in recent months, and the situation escalated after the U.S. sent military forces to the Caribbean to stop what it described as illegal drug and oil trafficking.
That deployment began with strikes on alleged drug boats, then expanded to the seizure of Venezuelan oil tankers. On Saturday, U.S. forces conducted a high-profile raid in Caracas that resulted in the capture and extradition of Maduro and his wife to the United States. The U.S. government alleges Maduro was involved in human rights abuses and corruption, and had ties to drug trafficking networks.
In a statement after the raid, Trump said Petro should “watch his ass” and called him “a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States.” Trump did not provide evidence for the accusation. However, his administration recently removed Colombia from the list of certified partners in the U.S. war on drugs and imposed financial sanctions on Petro and members of his family.
Trump: “Colombia’s very sick, too, run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States….and he’s not going to be doing it very long, let me tell you.” pic.twitter.com/fz13Bf1hhg
— Tommy Robinson
(@TRobinsonNewEra) January 5, 2026
Should Colombia respond militarily to U.S. threats?
(@TRobinsonNewEra) Petro pushed back strongly on X, writing a long post defending his record on drug enforcement. He said his government’s policies are focused on prevention and intelligence-based operations, not large-scale military strikes. He also warned that aggressive military actions without proper information could lead to the deaths of civilians and children, and could push more people to join guerrilla groups.
“If you bomb even one of these groups without sufficient intelligence, you will kill many children,” he wrote. “If you bomb peasants, thousands will turn into guerrillas in the mountains. And if you detain the president, whom a good part of my people love and respect, you will unleash the popular jaguar.”
Petro also expressed concern that U.S. support is shifting toward Colombia’s right-wing opposition, which is hoping to win back power in elections later this year. The Trump administration has been more open to working with conservative leaders in Latin America and has taken a tough stance on governments seen as aligned with socialist or far-left ideologies.
NEW: Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated he is ready to take up arms if necessary to defend his country, following threats from the United States amid U.S. military actions in neighboring Venezuela.
“Although I have not been a military man, I know about war and… pic.twitter.com/0Zdkg6SGWK
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) January 6, 2026
Tensions between Colombia and the U.S. are likely to continue as the situation in Venezuela unfolds, and elections approach in Colombia. For now, both leaders are standing firm, and it remains to be seen whether the rhetoric will lead to further conflict or a possible diplomatic reset.
