Colombian President’s remarks came after Trump accused him of running a country linked to cocaine trafficking and suggested that a US operation against Colombia “sounds good.”
By PC Bureau
January 6, 2026: Colombian President Gustavo Petro has openly challenged US President Donald Trump, telling him to “come get me,” escalating tensions days after a US military operation in Venezuela that led to the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
Reacting sharply to the US action, Petro warned that any military aggression would trigger widespread resistance. “If they bomb, the campesinos will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains,” he said, adding that detaining a popularly elected leader would unleash what he described as the “jaguar of the people.”
A former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the 1990s, Petro went further, saying he had sworn never to take up arms again but would do so “for the homeland” if required.
The standoff intensified after Trump accused Petro of running a “sick” country involved in cocaine trafficking. “Colombia is run by a man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States—and he won’t be doing it very long,” Trump told reporters. He later said that launching an operation against Colombia “sounds good.”
Colombia’s Foreign Ministry issued a formal response on Sunday, asserting that Bogotá would maintain international relations based on dialogue and cooperation but considered “threats or the use of force between states unacceptable.”
Trump had sanctioned Petro and members of his family in October over alleged links to the illegal drug trade. Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, alongside Peru and Bolivia.
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro DARES Trump 😳
‘Come get me, coward! I’m waiting for you here.’ pic.twitter.com/kJ8OqWxox3
— Frontalforce 🇮🇳 (@FrontalForce) January 5, 2026
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Petro’s defiance mirrors remarks made by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro last August, when he dared Trump to arrest him following an increase in US rewards for information leading to his capture. “Come get me. I will wait here,” Maduro said at the time.
Over the weekend, US forces carried out a rapid operation in Caracas, arresting Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Trump said the couple had been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracy.
The White House later released a video mocking Maduro, combining footage of his taunts with scenes from the operation and comments from US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said Maduro “had his chance—until he didn’t.”
The episode marks a sharp escalation in US–Latin America tensions, with Colombia now emerging as the latest flashpoint following Washington’s dramatic move against Venezuela.
