By Staff, Agencies

Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Monday issued a series of strong statements rejecting accusations linking him or Venezuelan leaders to drug trafficking, while sharply condemning US military aggression, political intimidation, and renewed assertions of control over Latin America.

In multiple posts on X, Petro responded to remarks attributed to US President Donald Trump and narratives circulating in Washington following US aggression against Venezuela.

He said Colombia’s judicial records, shaped by decades of confrontation with major cocaine cartels, contain no evidence implicating Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro or First Lady Cilia Flores in drug trafficking.

Petro argued that such allegations largely originate from Venezuelan opposition figures rather than verified judicial findings.

He stressed that Colombia’s judiciary operates independently from the executive branch and is often influenced by political forces opposed to his government.

Anyone seeking the truth about the cocaine trade, he said, should consult court records instead of relying on politically driven accusations.

Petro added that his own name has never appeared in narcotics-related cases over more than 50 years, firmly rejecting what he described as defamatory claims.

Petro also criticized decades of militarized counter-narcotics strategies promoted from abroad, arguing they have failed to curb trafficking while inflicting severe harm on civilian populations.

Addressing personal attacks, he said it is unacceptable to slander Latin American leaders who emerged from armed struggle and later chose peace.

Referring to his past in the M-19 movement, Petro highlighted its transition into the peace process as a historic example of negotiated conflict resolution.

He warned that US aggression against Venezuela would remain etched in the continent’s collective memory, stating: “Friends do not bomb one another.”