US airstrikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea have been labeled an 'act of tyranny' by Colombian President Gustavo Petro during a heated BBC interview. Petro has raised the alarm over recent airstrikes which reportedly killed 17 individuals since their initiation this month, arguing that such actions should prompt criminal investigations into US officials if they result in the death of Colombian citizens.
President Donald Trump has justified the airstrikes as necessary measures to curb the influx of fentanyl and other illegal narcotics into the United States. However, Petro expressed skepticism about their legality, questioning why the US would resort to missile attacks instead of detaining suspects at sea, claiming, 'That's what one would call murder.'
Further addressing the matter in his BBC interview, which took place during a high-profile United Nations meeting in New York, Petro stated that there should be a policy of 'zero deaths' in operations aimed at intercepting speedboats linked to drug smuggling. 'We have a long history of collaborating with American agencies for maritime seizures of cocaine. No one has ever died before. There is no need to kill anyone,' he asserted.
Legal experts and legislators in the US have raised concerns over whether these strikes comply with international human rights regulations, describing them as extrajudicial executions. The US reports that the strikes primarily targeted Venezuela have been met with conflicting narratives about the identity of the casualties, notably members of the drug gang Tren de Aragua.
In reaction to Petro's comments, the White House reaffirmed its commitment to employing 'every element of American power' to combat drug trafficking. Despite the ongoing tensions, Petro accused the Trump administration of undermining diplomatic relations, insisting that it is Trump who is isolating the United States with his foreign policies, particularly towards Latin America.
President Donald Trump has justified the airstrikes as necessary measures to curb the influx of fentanyl and other illegal narcotics into the United States. However, Petro expressed skepticism about their legality, questioning why the US would resort to missile attacks instead of detaining suspects at sea, claiming, 'That's what one would call murder.'
Further addressing the matter in his BBC interview, which took place during a high-profile United Nations meeting in New York, Petro stated that there should be a policy of 'zero deaths' in operations aimed at intercepting speedboats linked to drug smuggling. 'We have a long history of collaborating with American agencies for maritime seizures of cocaine. No one has ever died before. There is no need to kill anyone,' he asserted.
Legal experts and legislators in the US have raised concerns over whether these strikes comply with international human rights regulations, describing them as extrajudicial executions. The US reports that the strikes primarily targeted Venezuela have been met with conflicting narratives about the identity of the casualties, notably members of the drug gang Tren de Aragua.
In reaction to Petro's comments, the White House reaffirmed its commitment to employing 'every element of American power' to combat drug trafficking. Despite the ongoing tensions, Petro accused the Trump administration of undermining diplomatic relations, insisting that it is Trump who is isolating the United States with his foreign policies, particularly towards Latin America.
