Colombian President Gustavo Petro has warned that there is now a “real threat” of US military action against Colombia, accusing Washington of behaving like an empire and risking international isolation.
In an interview with the BBC, Petro said the United States has long treated other nations, particularly in Latin America, as part of a US “empire,” often disregarding international law. His remarks come after former US President Donald Trump publicly threatened Colombia with possible military action.
The tensions escalated after recent US strikes on Venezuela and the seizure of President Nicolás Maduro, following which Trump said a military operation targeting Colombia “sounds good.” Trump has also repeatedly issued personal warnings to Petro, remarks the Colombian leader has strongly condemned.
Petro and Trump spoke by phone on Wednesday evening. After the call, Trump said he would meet Petro at the White House in the “near future,” later describing the conversation on his Truth Social platform as a “great honour.” A Colombian official said at the time that the discussion marked a 180-degree shift in tone from both sides.
However, Petro suggested on Thursday that relations had not significantly improved. He said the call lasted just under an hour, with discussions focused on drug trafficking, Colombia’s position on Venezuela, and broader US policy in Latin America.
Petro also sharply criticised US immigration enforcement, accusing agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of acting like “Nazi brigades.” Trump has significantly expanded ICE operations, which the administration says are aimed at tackling crime and illegal immigration.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has repeatedly linked immigration to crime and drug trafficking, accusing countries such as Colombia and Venezuela of failing to do enough to curb the drug trade. ICE agents have been deployed across major US cities as part of the crackdown.
US authorities say that between January 20 and December 10, 2025, around 605,000 people were deported, while 1.9 million immigrants “voluntarily self-deported” following an aggressive public awareness campaign. As of November 30, about 65,000 people were being held in ICE detention facilities, according to data from Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.
This week, tensions intensified after an ICE agent shot dead a 37-year-old US citizen, Renee Nicole Good, in Minneapolis, triggering overnight protests. Federal officials said she attempted to run over immigration agents with her car, but the city’s mayor, Jacob Frey, described the shooting as reckless and called for agents to leave the city.
Commenting on the incident, Petro said ICE had “gone beyond persecuting Latin Americans in the streets” and was now killing US citizens. He warned that if such actions continued, the US risked transforming from a global power into an isolated nation, adding that “an empire is not built by being isolated from the world.”
