Petro breaks intelligence cooperation with the US after bombings in the Caribbean and accuses Trump of violating Latin American sovereignty

The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petroannounced this Tuesday (11) the immediate suspension of intelligence cooperation with United States security agenciesin reaction to recent US military attacks against civilian and fishing vessels in the Caribbean sea and no Eastern Pacific.

The measure, announced by the broadcaster teleSURwas formalized through a direct order published on Petro’s official account on the platform X (formerly Twitter). According to the president, “an order is given to all levels of law enforcement intelligence to suspend sending communications and other dealings with United States security agencies”.

According to the statement, the suspension will remain in effect. as long as the bombings ordered by Donald Trump’s government persist.

“The fight against drugs must respect human rights”

When justifying the decision, Petro declared that the measure aims to protect Colombian sovereignty and the rights of Caribbean populations.

“The fight against drugs must be subordinated to the human rights of the Caribbean people”, stated the president.

He classified the American attacks as “violations of sovereignty and international law”reinforcing that Colombia will not accept participating in operations that result in civilian deaths.

According to official data cited by the UN, at least 75 people died e 20 vessels were destroyed in bombings carried out by United States naval forces in areas close to Venezuela and the Colombian Pacific coast.

Specialists from United Nations (UN) described the actions as “summary executions” e “serious violations of international humanitarian law”.

O UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turkpublicly condemned the attacks, classifying them as “unacceptable and disproportionate”.

The United Kingdom also breaks collaboration with Washington

The Colombian decision follows a similar movement by United Kingdomwhich interrupted the exchange of intelligence information with the United States on naval operations in the region.

According to CNNBritish authorities suspended cooperation to avoid involvement in actions considered illegalending a decades-old partnership with the US Coast Guard in tracking vessels suspected of drug trafficking.

The British decision increased the Washington’s diplomatic isolation in Latin America and the Caribbean, increasing criticism of American anti-drug policy.

Criticism of US drug policy

Since the beginning of his mandate, Petro has reiterated opposition to the US-led model of combating drugswhich considers ineffective, militarized and violating regional sovereignty.

“Colombia will no longer be the base of a war against the Latin American people waged in the name of combating drugs,” declared the president in a recent speech.

Petro has been defending a new approachcentered on replacement of illicit crops, sustainable rural development e respect for international human rights standards.

According to Colombian political analysts, the suspension of intelligence cooperation represents one of the toughest measures adopted by Bogotá against Washington in recent decadesreflecting the growing tension between the two countries.

Military escalation and regional reactions

The crisis intensified after the Pentagon moves eight warships to the Caribbeanincluding six destroyers, three amphibious vessels and one submarinein what experts point out as the largest American naval operation in the region since the Gulf War (1990-1991).

Em October 24tho aircraft carrier Gerald Ford and his attack group were sent by the US Southern Command to reinforce the military presence in the Atlantic and Pacific.

Governments of Venezuela, Cuba e Colombia condemned the action, claiming that the US uses the combating drug trafficking as a pretext for political intimidation operations against countries that maintain sovereign positions or divergent from Washington’s interests.

“Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace”

In a joint statement, the governments of Caracas, Bogotá and Havana advocated the preservation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a “Zone of Peace”a principle proclaimed during the II Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac)held in Havana in 2014.

“No country should be the target of foreign military actions under false pretexts. The region must remain free from intervention”, says the text.

The Colombian government also announced that it will seek diplomatic support with the UN and Celac to formalize an international complaint against the US attacks and propose a multilateral non-intervention agreement not Caribbean.