Colombian President Gustavo Petro Responds Sharply to Donald Trump’s Threats

• The President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, has hit back against United States President Donald Trump
• This was after Trump accused Petro of being a drug trafficker and threatened military action against the South American nation
• The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, also responded to the United Nations' criticism of the abduction of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro

Tebogo Mokwena, affiliated with Briefly News, covered local and international politics, political analysis, and interviews in South Africa for Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News during his 10 years of experience.

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA — The President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, said that he was willing to take up arms in response to United States President Donald Trump, who issued threats against him on 4 January 2026.

Petro said on X on 5 January and criticised Trump. He also slammed the United States' deployment in the South American region and said that many children would be killed if the United States bombs drug cartels without sufficient intelligence.

Read also

Nicolas Maduro maintains his innocence in first appearance in US court, says he's a prisoner of war

Petro slams Donald Trump

Petro added that if the United States, which abducted Venezuela's former President Nicolas Maduro on 3 January 2026, bombed peasants, thousands would flee to the mountains where they would be guerrillas. Petro was also a guerrilla fighter in his youth. He was part of the M-19 Movement, a military group that opposed government rule in the 80s. He said that he would take up arms to protect Colombia, despite swearing that he would not touch a weapon again.

Marco Rubio responds to the United Nations

The United States' Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded to the statements of the United Nations' Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Guterres said that he was concerned about the possible intensification of instability in Venezuela after Trump's actions on 3 January. He said the rule of law was not respected during the US military action in Venezuela.

X account Suppressed News posted a video of Rubio speaking on 5 January on its @SuppressedNws1 X account. Speaking to the media, he slammed media reports suggesting that Venezuela was not involved in the drug trade. He also said he did not care what the UN said. He said the UN did not know what it was talking about.

Read also

ANC's Nomvula Mokonyane accuses FF+ of self-interest over Nicolas Maduro comment, citizens annoyed

"Maduro is indicted by a grand jury in the southern district of New York. That means the southern district of New York presented evidence to a grand jury and a grand jury indicted him," he said.

Rubio also said that a superseding indictment, which was unsealed 18 months ago, detailed Maduro's actions.

Watch the video on X here:

Ronald Lamola slams US actions

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, weighed in on the US's capture of Maduro. He slammed the US and said South Africa must stand on the side of principle.

Lamola spoke on the sidelines of an African National Congress meeting in the North West on 5 January 2026. He said the US violated the UN Charter.

Source: Briefly News