U.S. Deputy Secretary of โฃStateโ Christopher Landau delivered a scathing rebuke of Colombian President Gustavo Petro, calling him a “person of such lowโข moral character”โ and revealing his visa was โrevoked following recent remarks.
Landau’sโ strong condemnation, reportedโฃ by Semana, stemmed from Petro’s calls โขin New York for U.S. troops to disregard โฃorders fromโข their president-a reference to ongoing U.S. military operations targeting alleged drug trafficking vessels. The escalatingโ tensions โฃhighlight a deepening rift between theโ Biden โขmanagement and Petro’s left-wing government, raising concerns about the future of U.S.-Colombia relations and regional security cooperation. Theโค incident underscores the delicate balance between national sovereignty and international partnerships, โparticularly as Colombia navigates its internal struggles with drug cartels and political polarization.
According to โ Semana, Landauโ accused Petro of “very โprovocative manner” andโฃ lamented that Colombia โwas represented internationally by โsomeone of such character. Heโฃ further stated the decision to remove Petro from the country and revoke his visa was a direct response to his actions.
The dispute follows Petro’s repeated criticismsโค of U.S. anti-narcotics operations, which he argues infringeโ upon Colombian sovereignty and โare ineffective. Landau’s statements signal โa hardening of Washington’s stance toward Petro, potentially complicating efforts to address sharedโ challenges such โas drug trafficking, migration, and regional stability.
