The President of Colombia declared firmly that he is ready to take up arms again if U.S. leader Donald Trump decides to attack him or Colombia.
Foreign news agencies reported that on Monday, 5 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Gustavo Petro, the President of Colombia, warned he would take up arms again if the U.S. decides to attack him or his country, following repeated threats from U.S. President Donald Trump after U.S. troops raided to capture the Venezuelan leader in Caracas.
In a post on platform X, Petro reiterated his efforts to combat drug trafficking, a subject criticized by Trump, and claimed that U.S. military attacks on drug gangs in Colombia risk causing child casualties and could push more people to join long-standing separatist groups opposing the state.
“And if they arrest a president who is supported and respected by most of the country, they will provoke a violent popular uprising,” said Petro, a former member of the M19 rebel group.
The Colombian president further stated he would personally fight to defend Colombia. “I once swore never to touch a weapon again... but for the homeland, I will take up arms again.”
On Sunday (4 Jan) Trump harshly attacked Petro, calling him “a sick man who produces and sells cocaine to the U.S.” and threatening that “he won’t be able to do that for much longer.”
When asked by reporters whether this comment implied a possible “operation” in Colombia in the future, Trump replied, “Sounds good to me.”
Pedro Sanchez, Colombia’s Minister of Defense, told The New York Times on Monday that he declined to respond directly to Trump’s threats but emphasized that the two countries have “very close relations” and that he remains in contact with U.S. officials without any discussions of the possibility of an attack on Colombia.
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Source:cnn