Washington – The U.S. has slapped fresh sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, accusing him of letting drug cartels grow. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday that Petro “has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity.”
The Treasury’s list now blocks any property Petro, his wife Verónica Alcocer, eldest son Nicolás Petro and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti own in the United States. All U.S. people must report these assets to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The move cites Executive Order 14059, which targets those who help spread illicit drugs worldwide.
Petro took to X (formerly Twitter) to say he and his family appear on the OFAC list, adding that U.S. Attorney Daniel Kovalik will represent him. He called the sanctions a “paradox” that, in his words, does not mean a “step back” in fighting drugs.
Colombia’s Foreign Ministry blasted the action as a serious violation of its president’s dignity. The ministry called the U.S. intervention “illegal and against international law.” Interior Minister Benedetti posted on X that the sanctions are retaliation for the U.S. cutting aid and raising tariffs on Colombia, an issue the Trump administration announced last Sunday.
U.S. officials said they also launched two strikes on suspected drug‑trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific this week, near Colombia’s coast. The Pentagon reports it has sunk ten alleged drug boats since September, eight of them in international waters in the Caribbean.
Petro has long accused the United States of using its anti‑drug agenda to justify military force in the Caribbean and to seize control of oil reserves. He pointed the finger at the U.S. after his visa was revoked in September. That revocation followed his participation in a pro‑Palestinian protest, where he told U.S. soldiers to defy President Trump’s orders during the 80th U.N. General Assembly in New York.
The U.S. and Colombia trade stings of tension as the two countries navigate a sharp hit to cooperation—until now. The latest sanctions, the U.S. aid cut, and the military strikes paint a picture of a strained partnership.
Key topics: U.S. sanctions on Colombia, Gustavo Petro, drug cartels, Treasury Department, OFAC, U.S. foreign policy, U.S.–Colombia relations, U.S. military strikes, U.S. visa revocation, Palestine protest.
Source: ianslive
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