Colombia's President Claims US Strikes Targeted Colombian Vessels Amid Controversy

Tue Oct 21 2025 19:50:40 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Colombian President Gustavo Petro asserts that US military strikes in the Caribbean have resulted in the bombing of vessels occupied by Colombian citizens, a claim that has been dismissed by the White House as unfounded.

Gustavo Petro criticized recent US maritime strikes, alleging they have harmed Colombian citizens. The US conducted operations in the Caribbean, claiming to target narco-traffickers, which has drawn international backlash and concerns about legality. Petro's comments highlight the growing tensions and differences between Colombia and the US over military actions.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has stated that a boat recently bombed by the US was Colombian with Colombian citizens inside, a report that the White House labeled as baseless.

The US has conducted a series of strikes against vessels in the Caribbean, killing 21 individuals, claiming they targeted narco-traffickers in international waters. Nonetheless, the US government has not shared specific information regarding the identities of those on the boats, raising concerns about potential violations of international law and drawing criticism from various countries in the region.

In a conversation on social media, Petro responded to US Senator Adam Schiff, who expressed intentions to block further military actions against vessels, noting the emergence of a new war scenario in the Caribbean. He warned that the bombed vessel was indeed Colombian, suggesting families of the victims should come forward and report the incident.

He further asserted that the ongoing military actions represent a conflict motivated not by drug trafficking but by geopolitical interests, particularly relating to oil. Petro emphasized the need for global intervention to cease these aggressive acts, which he perceives as a threat to the entire Latin American and Caribbean region.

The US administration has expressed its hope for Petro to retract his statement, maintaining that, despite policy differences, it seeks close cooperation with Colombia on shared security priorities. During his recent address at the EU Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, Petro called for a meeting of Caribbean foreign ministers to discuss the strikes.

The US military strikes, which began in early September, aimed to target boats allegedly transporting illegal drugs off the coast of Venezuela. In response to a recent Senate proposal designed to limit the President's military authority, lawmakers voted against it, highlighting the partisan divide regarding the administration's military engagement in the region.

A leaked memo suggested the US now considers itself in a non-international armed conflict, a classification that allows for expanded military engagement and justifies actions against designated terrorist organizations, including various drug cartels across Latin America.