Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro appeared to threaten Donald Trump in a discussion on withering relationships with the U.S. amid a surging drug war.
With a snap of his fingers, Petro demanded that if the world can’t ‘change’ President Trump then the solution is to ‘get rid’ of him.
The suggestion came after the Trump administration escalated its counter-narcotic operations with a focus on Venezuela and Colombia. Since September 1 of this year, the U.S. carried out seven confirmed strikes on suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean.
Petro spoke on-camera with Univision President Daniel Coronell, who was shocked by the comments and said he was leaving Narino Palace with ‘concern’ regarding what the Colombia president had said in their interview.
At the end of their interview on the diplomatic crisis and clashes with Trump, Coronell told Petro: ‘I hope you find wisdom and pragmatism to get out of this.’
‘We’ll see. I’ve got this,’ he replied.
The Colombian president insisted that while he doesn’t trust Trump he does trust American institutions to ‘put science and truth’ above the U.S. president’s ‘slander and arrogance and greed.’
Coronell pressed Petro on his ‘mission’ and gave him the chance to focus on efforts by the Colombian government on having ‘the best possible negotiation’ with Trump to improve jobs and economy for the people.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro (pictured) said the best solution for him would be to ‘get rid’ of President Donald Trump
It comes after the U.S. conducted at least seven strikes in the Caribbean in ramped up counter-narcoterrorism efforts
‘Humanity has a first offramp, and it is to change Trump, in various ways,’ Petro replied. ‘The easiest way may be through Trump himself – the easiest.’
‘If not,’ he replied and snapped his fingers before adding, ‘get rid of Trump.’
The threat just adds to the rising political violence and rhetoric in recent years.
With two assassination attempts against Trump last year, any threatening comments made against the U.S. president are likely being examined even more closely than previously.
The White House did not immediately respond to request for comment on Petro’s comments.
Additionally, the Trump administration did put the largest-ever bounty for Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro’s arrest.
Petro sat down for an interview with Univison President Daniel Coronell that he said left him ‘concerned’
This summer, Trump moved multiple U.S. war ships off the coast of Venezuela as tensions rose regarding the massive amount of drugs being smuggled into the U.S. from there and other South American countries.
On September 1, 2025, the Trump administration released drone images of a strike it conducted against a Venezuelan boat near Trinidad that the White House said was carrying Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang members. The strike killed 11 people on board the vessel.
There have been six more air and naval strikes since then conducted by the U.S. Navy and Air Force.
The administration justifies the actions it says are being taken against ‘narcoterrorists’ affiliated with gangs like TdA and Colombia’s far-left insurgency group National Liberation Army (NLA).
