U.S. President Donald Trump has announced an immediate cessation of all financial assistance to Colombia, publicly branding President Gustavo Petro an “illegal drug lord” and accusing him of actively fostering widespread drug production.
President Trump made the announcement on Sunday, October 19, 2025, via a post on Truth Social. In a lengthy statement, he asserted that President Petro was directly supporting significant drug cultivation and trafficking across Colombia.
Trump’s post accused Petro of enabling drug production to become “the biggest business in Colombia, by far.” He stated that Petro had done nothing to stop it, despite receiving substantial U.S. funding, which Trump called “long-term fraud against America.”
Donald Trump announced the U.S. will stop aid to Colombia, pointing to President Gustavo Petro as a drug lord who supports massive drug production in the country. On Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, condemning Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro as an “illegal drug lord” and announced that the U.S. would terminate significant aid and subsidies to this South American nation. Trump’s message stated: “Colombian President Gustavo Petro is an illegal drug lord, actively supporting massive drug production in large and small areas throughout Colombia.” “This has become the biggest business in Colombia, by far, and Petro has done nothing to stop it, even though he has received massive funding and subsidies from the United States, which is no different from long-term fraud against America.” “From today onwards, these payments, or any other form of payments or subsidies, will no longer be given to Colombia.” “The purpose of this drug production is to sell massive quantities of goods into the United States, which causes death, destruction, and chaos. Petro, a low-rated and very unpopular leader who speaks ill of America, should close these killing fields immediately, or the United States will close them itself, and not gently.”
— realDonaldTrump (@realDonaldTrump) October 19, 2025
The termination of aid follows a period of severely strained relations between Washington and Bogotá, which have worsened since President Trump’s return to office in January 2025.
The latest escalation was triggered by President Petro’s accusation in September 2025 that the U.S. was responsible for a deadly attack on a vessel in Colombian waters.
In September, the U.S. also revoked President Petro’s visa after he participated in a pro-Palestinian march in New York. During the event, Petro reportedly urged U.S. soldiers to disregard orders from President Trump.
This past September 2025, for the first time since 1996, the United States formally declared Colombia as having failed to meet its anti-drug commitments, which typically disqualifies a nation from receiving certain U.S. assistance. However, the U.S. State Department had subsequently issued an exemption, allowing aid to continue.
A year earlier, in 2024, President Petro had pledged significant social and military interventions to curb coca cultivation in Colombia. These efforts have yielded little success.
Colombia had long been considered one of the closest U.S. allies in South America.