US sanctions Colombian President amid worsening bilateral relations

Washington, Oct 25 (IANS) The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro amid deteriorating bilateral relations, accusing Petro of allowing drug cartels to "flourish", according to a statement from the US Department of the Treasury.

"President Petro has allowed drug cartels to flourish and refused to stop this activity," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday in the statement.

Petro's wife Veronica Alcocer, his eldest son Nicolas Petro, as well as Colombia's Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, were accused of having provided or attempted to provide support, goods or services to Petro, Xinhua news agency reported.

As a result of the sanctions, all property and interests in property of these designated or blocked persons that are in the United States or in the possession or control of US persons are blocked and must be reported to the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the statement said.

"Gustavo Petro is being designated today pursuant to E.O. (executive order) 14059 for having engaged in, or attempted to engage in, activities or transactions that have materially contributed to, or pose a significant risk of materially contributing to, the international proliferation of illicit drugs or their means of production," the statement added.

Petro confirmed on X that he and his family were placed on the OFAC list, adding that US Attorney Daniel Kovalik would represent him.

"Fighting drug trafficking effectively for decades brings me this measure from the government of the society that we help so much to stop cocaine consumption. It's quite a paradox, but not a step back and never on our knees," Petro said in a post.

Benedetti denounced the US move on X as retaliation for defending Colombia's dignity and standing by Petro amid accusations by US President Donald Trump, who announced last Sunday that Washington would immediately cut aid to Colombia and unveil a new tariff rate.

In response to the US sanctions, the Colombian Foreign Ministry said that the accusation is "an act of the utmost seriousness that goes against the dignity of the President", slamming Washington for trying to illegally intervene in Colombian territory and thus violating the norms of international law and diplomacy.

The US military carried out two strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific in the past week.

US media reported that the two strikes occurred near Colombia's Pacific coast.

The Pentagon has sunk 10 alleged drug boats since September, eight in international waters in the Caribbean.

Petro has accused the United States of using its anti-drug policy as a pretext to justify the use of force in the Caribbean region to take control of oil reserves.

In September, his US visa was revoked after he joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration and urged US soldiers to disobey Trump's orders when attending the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

--IANS

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