Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday announced the imposition of US sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro.
The US accuses Petro of failing to stop drug production in the country. His wife and eldest son were sanctioned with him, as was Interior Minister Armando Benedetti.
“President Petro has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity,” said Bessent. “President Trump is taking strong action to protect our nation and make clear that we will not tolerate the trafficking of drugs into our nation.”
It is the latest escalation in US-Colombian relations as US President Donald Trump unleashes the US military in the hemisphere; deploying troops to target purported drug cartels, as well as threatening invasions and covert operations in Latin America.
Colombia’s President Petro has accused the US of ignoring international law to murder innocent people in its drug war.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar
