President Donald Trump announced Saturday that his administration is cutting off all subsidies to Colombia, accusing the country’s president, Gustavo Petro, of leading illegal drug operations and turning Colombia into what he called “the biggest business in Colombia, by far.”
As reported by The New York Post, in a Truth Social post, President Trump blasted Petro as an “illegal drug leader strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs, in big and small fields, all over Colombia.”
He criticized the Colombian leader for what he described as complete inaction against narcotics cultivation despite receiving substantial U.S. assistance.
“It has become the biggest business in Colombia, by far, and Petro does nothing to stop it despite large-scale payments and subsidies from the USA that are nothing more than a long-term rip off of America,” Trump wrote.
According to data from foreignassistance.gov, the United States has provided over $207 million in foreign aid to Colombia this year alone. That money, President Trump said, will now be halted immediately.
Trump’s post also included a direct warning to Petro, stating, “The United States will close them up for him, and it won’t be done nicely.”
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump just utterly NUKED Colombia President Petro and CANCELED subsidies to his country
FAFO!
“President Gustavo Petro, of Columbia, is an illegal drug leader strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs, in big and small fields, all over… pic.twitter.com/cxF4Ms7dJO
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 19, 2025
The President’s remarks came just days after U.S. forces carried out a series of military strikes on drug-smuggling boats near the coast of Venezuela, Colombia’s neighbor, signaling an intensified crackdown on narcotics trafficking across the region.
Petro, a former guerrilla fighter who took office in 2022, has faced growing criticism for his approach to drug policy, including efforts to decriminalize certain narcotics and reduce military intervention against coca farmers.
Trump’s announcement marks a sharp shift in U.S.-Colombian relations, which for decades relied on American funding for counter-narcotics operations and economic development programs.
The decision to cut aid reflects Trump’s broader foreign policy approach, prioritizing accountability among nations that receive U.S. assistance. It also signals renewed pressure on South American governments accused of lax drug enforcement.
While Petro has not yet responded to Trump’s remarks, Colombian officials have previously argued that new strategies are needed to address the root causes of the narcotics trade rather than relying solely on military intervention.
President Trump’s declaration underscores his administration’s zero-tolerance stance toward foreign leaders accused of complicity in drug trafficking. The move is expected to have major diplomatic and economic consequences for Colombia, long considered one of Washington’s closest allies in Latin America.
