Colombia announced on Monday that it has recalled its ambassador from Washington following a series of sharp remarks by US President Donald Trump, who threatened to impose new tariffs on the South American nation and halt all financial aid to it. 
The move marks a new escalation in tensions between Bogot&aacute; and Washington, fueled by US military strikes on vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking.
During his latest comments, Trump referred to Colombia&rsquo;s leftist President Gustavo Petro as an &ldquo;illegal drug leader,&rdquo; a statement the Colombian government called &ldquo;offensive and unacceptable.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Daniel Garc&iacute;a-Pe&ntilde;a, Ambassador of Colombia to the United States, has been recalled for consultations by President Gustavo Petro and is now in Bogot&aacute;,&rdquo; Colombia&rsquo;s foreign ministry confirmed. 
It added that further decisions regarding the matter would be announced soon.
President Petro has strongly criticized recent US military actions in the Caribbean, where several vessels have been bombed, resulting in civilian deaths. 
The strikes, which Washington claims targeted drug smuggling operations, have sparked outrage among human rights activists and legal experts.
Trump said on Sunday that the US would &ldquo;cut off all payments&rdquo; to Colombia and announce details of new tariffs soon. 
However, it remains unclear which specific funds he was referring to. 
Colombia was once among the largest recipients of US assistance in the Western Hemisphere, though aid has dropped sharply this year after the closure of USAID operations in the country.
As of late Monday, the Trump administration had not made any formal tariff announcement. 
Meanwhile, Petro met with US charg&eacute; d&rsquo;affaires John McNamara at the presidential palace, though no details of their discussion were made public.
Economic ties at stake
The United States is Colombia&rsquo;s top trading partner, accounting for around 35% of its exports, according to the Colombian-American Chamber of Commerce. 
Colombia, which currently faces a 10% tariff on most exports to the US, imports nearly 70% of goods from the US that are not produced domestically.
Colombia&rsquo;s foreign ministry said it will seek international support for President Petro and defend the country&rsquo;s sovereignty. 
Petro, who gained prominence as a senator for exposing links between right-wing paramilitaries and drug traffickers, has been a vocal critic of foreign interference.
On Sunday, Petro condemned a US bombing that killed three civilians, saying the targeted boat belonged to a &ldquo;humble family&rdquo; and not to the leftist National Liberation Army (ELN), as claimed by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
&ldquo;Mr. Trump, Colombia has never been rude to the United States&hellip; but you are rude and ignorant to Colombia,&rdquo; Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 
&ldquo;Since I am not a businessman, I am even less a drug trafficker. There is no greed in my heart.&rdquo;
Despite Petro&rsquo;s pledges to curb coca cultivation through a mix of social and military programs, progress has been limited. 
The Colombian peso fell 1.28% on Monday, closing at 3,883 per US dollar amid growing concerns over diplomatic fallout.
Colombia, a key exporter of oil, coal, coffee, flowers, and bananas, recorded a $338 million trade deficit with the US between January and July, according to government data. 
US investors contributed $2.27 billion to Colombia in the first half of the year, representing about 34% of total foreign investment during that period.

Trump and Petro amid rising diplomatic tensions

Bogotá recalls US envoy as Trump calls Petro a ‘drug leader’ and threatens fresh tariffs

Colombia Recalls Envoy After Trump’s Tariff Threat

Bogotá recalls US envoy as Trump calls Petro a ‘drug leader’ and threatens fresh tariffs

October 21, 2025 | 16:41 IST