Colombian political leaders are calling for the impeachment of President Gustavo Petro, citing his recent public feud with President Donald Trump as a source of national embarrassment. Critics argue that Petro’s short-lived “trade war” with Trump damaged Colombia's international reputation, particularly in its relations with the United States. The controversy stemmed from Petro refusing deportation flights from the U.S., which resulted in Trump threatening the nation with harsh tariffs. Petro then tried to turn the table on Trump and threaten him with a 50 percent tariff on U.S. goods.
As a result, politicians across Colombia are embarrassed by Petro’s immediate take-down and have called for his resignation.
On Monday, Conservative Senator María Fernanda Cabal urged Colombia’s president to resign, accusing him of prioritizing his ideological agenda over finding real solutions. She argued that viewing the United States as an “enemy” wasn’t an error but rather a core strategy of the 21st-century socialism that President Petro adheres to without question.
“With this enemy created by Petro, attention is distracted from the seriousness of Catatumbo and the territorial control strategy of the ELN, Carel of the Suns, and the Picota Pact,” Cabal said in a statement. “Its strategy is clear: blame an external enemy to justify its internal failures, use isolation as a tool of control and advance its anti-imperialist agenda. This government does not see the crisis as a problem, but as an opportunity to centralize power and subject the country to a model of state dependency.”
She stated that solutions would not be generated from Petro’s leadership but from those who defend “freedom, trade and progress,” insisting that “it is time to demand Petro’s departure through impeachment.”
Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez also demanded that Petro resign, claiming he has stood with an “alliance” with Venezuela’s socialist Maduro regime and breaking ties with the U.S. The conservative Democratic Center party released a statement, accusing Petro of using the illegal immigrants as a way to hide the “destructive advance” of his regime and of using the same “national dignity” stance to embrace the Cuban and Venezuelan regime's attempts of covering up its failures.
“The series of insults from President Petro to President Trump, elected with all democratic legitimacy, has been creating barriers to dialogue,” the statement read. “If it was about changing the conditions of deportation, they could have talked about it before authorizing the flights that the President revoked. Or with the Biden Administration that deported a large number of Colombians. We cannot forget that in the last 30 months, more than 2 million Colombians have left the country with no intention of returning. The major cause has been the destruction of our economy and the weakening of security, due to the decisions of the National Government.”
In addition, Petro’s predecessor, former President Iván Duque, questioned Petro’s actions, claiming it was “curious” that Colombia’s president’s “clumsy and defiant” attitude toward America was dangerous. He pointed out that Petro has not acted in such a way toward other countries who have conducted deportations of Colombian illegal aliens in the past.
“It is urgent that diplomacy and brains prevail over the outbursts and ideological whims of the Petro government,” Duque said.
Duque stressed that it is Colombia’s “moral duty” to welcome back its own citizens.
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