But Petro acknowledged that disruption to military cooperation between the two countries could have serious consequences.
Published October 23, 2025
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has suggested that cutting aid from the United States means little for the country, but that changes to military funding could have an impact.
“What happens if you take away the aid? In my opinion, there is nothing,” Petro told reporters Thursday, adding that aid funds are often channeled through U.S. government agencies or employed Americans.
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But reductions in military cooperation will be significant, he added.
“There will be some problems with military aid,” Petro said, adding that the loss of US military helicopters would have the most severe impact.
US President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Colombia over the weekend and announced on Wednesday that he was cutting off all funding to the country.
Colombia was once one of the Western Hemisphere’s biggest recipients of U.S. aid, but the closure of USAID, the government’s humanitarian arm, saw funding flows suddenly drop this year. Military cooperation continues.
The Trump administration has already “decertified” Colombia’s efforts to combat drug trafficking, paving the way for possible further cuts, but some U.S. military personnel remain in Colombia and the two countries continue to share intelligence.
Petro opposes U.S. military attacks on ships in the Caribbean, which have killed dozens of people and heightened tensions in the region. Many legal experts and human rights activists have also condemned the act.
President Trump responded by calling Petro an “illegal drug leader” and a “bad guy,” a term the Petro government says is offensive.
Petro recalled the government’s ambassador from Washington, D.C., but still met with the U.S. charge d’affaires in Bogota late Sunday.
President Trump has not announced any additional tariffs on top of the 10% tariff already imposed on Colombian goods, but he said Wednesday that he could take serious action against the country.
Mr. Petro said Trump is unlikely to impose tariffs on Colombia’s oil and coal exports, which account for 60% of its exports to the United States, but the impact of tariffs on other industries could be eased by exploring alternative markets.
Higher tariffs would upend the long-established U.S. policy stance that free trade makes legal exports more attractive than drug trafficking, but analysts say higher tariffs could ultimately strengthen drug trafficking.
Petro’s government has struggled to control major hubs of rebel and criminal activity, but it said it had seized a record 2,800 tonnes of cocaine in three years, thanks in part to increased efforts at Pacific ports where container ships are used for smuggling.
He also repeatedly accused President Trump’s actions of being aimed at emboldening Colombia’s far-right forces in next year’s parliamentary and presidential elections.
