Colombian President Gustavo Petro has alleged that a recent strike by the United States on a boat in the Caribbean involved “Colombian citizens inside,” a claim that the White House has labeled as “baseless.” The US has launched attacks on several vessels in the Caribbean in recent weeks, resulting in the deaths of 21 individuals. Official statements from the US government indicated that these operations in international waters were focused on targets identified as “narco-traffickers.”
However, the US has not provided specific evidence regarding the identities of those on board the struck vessels, leading to concerns about potential violations of international law and widespread condemnation from neighboring countries. Recently, the US Senate voted against a proposal that would have restricted the President’s ability to employ military force against these maritime targets.
Petro responded to a comment made by US Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat, who expressed support for blocking strikes against vessels in the Caribbean. The Colombian president indicated that the situation represents “a new war scenario” in the region, further stating that evidence suggests the recently bombed boat was indeed Colombian in origin. Petro also encouraged families of the victims to come forward, expressing concerns about the broader implications of what he characterized as a “war for oil” rather than a war on smuggling.
The White House has expressed its expectation for Petro to retract his comments and acknowledged ongoing policy differences between the two nations, while reaffirming their commitment to cooperation on regional security. Petro, during a speech in Brussels at the EU Global Gateway Forum, mentioned that he has called for a meeting of Caribbean foreign ministers to discuss the strikes.
The US strikes, initiated on September 2, targeted vessels allegedly transporting illegal drugs off the coast of Venezuela, aligning with a US strategy that has designated various cartels in the region as terrorist organizations, thereby expanding the scope of their military response. A recent leaked memo suggested that the US is now framing its operations as part of a “non-international armed conflict” to justify the use of wartime powers.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c89dz920p0do?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss