From Accusations to Apologies: Colombia’s President Tries to Calm the Waters

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian President Gustavo Petro attempted to ease tensions with the United States in June by sending a letter to President Donald Trump clarifying that he did not intend to accuse U.S. officials of trying to overthrow his government.

The confidential letter, dated June 23, was leaked to Colombian media outlets on Monday. Relations between the two countries have deteriorated to their lowest point since the 1990s, when the U.S. revoked a Colombian president’s visa following allegations that his campaign was financed by drug traffickers.

In the June 23 letter, Petro appears to backtrack from statements made during a speech on June 11, where he accused Secretary of State Marco Rubio of orchestrating a plot to topple his government. Petro had claimed in the speech that “a neighboring President” informed him of Rubio’s alleged conspiracy.

“I would like to clarify that any expression of mine, which may have been interpreted as a direct accusation about participation in a coup attempt in Colombia had no intention of signaling anyone personally or questioning the role of the U.S., without any proof,” Petro wrote in the letter. He also suggested that both Presidents should lead a U.S.-Latin America summit.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Monday that she was unsure if Trump had seen the letter. Petro did not immediately comment after the letter was leaked to the press. Colombia’s Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia confirmed that the letter was sent last month as part of an effort to “strengthen the relation between both countries.”

On Thursday, the U.S. recalled its top diplomat from Colombia, with the State Department citing “baseless and reprehensible statements from the highest levels” of Colombia’s government.

Colombia responded by recalling its ambassador from Washington in what Petro described as an effort to review the bilateral relationship and analyze progress on issues such as combating climate change and targeting the international finances of drug traffickers.

Colombia and the United States have long been partners in the fight against the cocaine trade, with the South American country receiving more than $13 billion in U.S. aid over the past two decades.

However, the relationship has shifted since Petro took office in 2022, with the Colombian president prioritizing issues like climate change and the transition to clean energy sources.

Petro and Trump clashed in January after Colombia’s president refused to accept two deportation flights operated by the U.S. military, arguing that Colombian citizens on the planes were being subjected to inhumane conditions.

Trump threatened Colombia with 25 percent tariffs after the planes were prevented from landing, but the dispute was resolved within hours through an agreement in which Colombia committed to sending its own planes to the U.S. to pick up Colombian migrants facing deportation orders.

In June, Petro accused U.S. Congressmen Carlos Gimenez and Mario Diaz Balart of attempting to overthrow him.

The congressmen were mentioned in recordings in which Colombia’s former foreign minister, Alvaro Leyva, discusses plans to remove Petro from office with an unnamed source. Both have denied any involvement in plans to oust Petro.

Colombian prosecutors have opened an investigation into the recordings, which were leaked to the Spanish newspaper El Pais.

Tensions between Colombia and the United States have escalated as cocaine production in Colombia reaches record levels, with the country’s coca crop expanding to 253,000 hectares in 2023, according to the UN, marking a 40 percent increase from 2020.