Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro and his Interior Minister Armando Benedetti reacted defiantly on Friday after the United States government placed them on its sanctions list in the campaign against drug trafficking.
The announcement, which also named Petro’s wife and son among the “specially designated nationals,” drew immediate backlash from Bogotá, with both leaders invoking the spirit of Latin American revolutionaries in their responses.
“Not one step back and never on my knees,” President Petro wrote on social media, a phrase long associated with resistance movements across the region. The former guerrilla-turned-head of state dismissed the allegations as politically motivated and part of a broader campaign to undermine his administration’s sovereignty.
Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, has frequently criticized Washington’s long-standing influence in Latin America and its “war on drugs” policy, which he argues has destabilized the region and fueled inequality.
His ally and interior minister, Armando Benedetti, issued an equally fiery response.
“This proves that every empire is unjust,” Benedetti said in a social media tirade condemning the decision.
“For the US, a nonviolent statement is the same as being a drug trafficker. Gringos go home.”
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The US Treasury Department has yet to release a full statement outlining the specific charges or evidence supporting the sanctions. However, early reports suggest the move stems from allegations of money laundering and illicit financial dealings tied to Petro’s 2022 presidential campaign claims the Colombian government has repeatedly denied.
Analysts say the development could further strain relations between Bogotá and Washington, which have already grown tense over Petro’s stance on regional security, his criticism of US foreign policy, and his open support for left-wing governments in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua.
Despite the controversy, Petro appears determined to rally domestic and regional support. In his latest post, he reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to “justice, peace, and the independence of Latin America.”
The sanctions, which freeze US-based assets and restrict financial transactions, mark one of the most serious diplomatic confrontations between Colombia and the United States in decades underscoring a widening ideological divide between Washington and several Latin American governments pursuing more independent foreign policies.
