Colombian President Petro Dares Donald Trump With 'Come Get Me' Challenge In Same Way Maduro Did

New Delhi: Colombian President Gustavo Petro issued a bold and unprecedented challenge to U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, directly responding to recent American threats and escalating regional friction following a controversial US operation in Venezuela.

In a sharply worded statement and public remarks, Petro defiantly said, “Come get me. I’m waiting for you here”, a phrase that echoes similar taunts made earlier by Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro after the US military detained the Venezuelan leader last weekend.

Petro’s comments mark a dramatic escalation in rhetoric between Bogota and Washington after Trump hinted at the possibility of U.S. action against Colombia following the capture of Maduro. In recent comments to reporters, Trump publicly criticised the Colombian government, accusing Petro of overseeing a country rife with cocaine production and asserting that “Colombia is very sick too… run by a sick man who likes making cocaine”, and suggesting action against Colombia “sounds good”.

The Colombian president, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised decades ago, did not shy away from confrontation. In his rebuttal, he warned that any military action could trigger wider instability: “If they bomb, the campesinos will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains”, he said, adding that he had once sworn never to take up arms again, but “for the homeland I will take up arms again”.

Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the U.S. remarks in a formal response, asserting that Bogotá supports “international relations based on dialogue, cooperation and mutual respect” while rejecting what it described as unacceptable threats or the use of force in bilateral relations.

The diplomatic tension builds on months of strain as in October, the Trump administration sanctioned Petro and members of his family over alleged ties to the drug trade, a charge the Colombian leader has vigorously denied.

The confrontation has roots in wider US actions in Latin America. Over the weekend, U.S. forces conducted a high-profile operation in Venezuela that led to the detention of Nicolas Maduro and his wife, who have been indicted in the U.S. on drug trafficking and narcoterrorism charges.

That action drew both praise and condemnation globally, further complicating Washington’s relations in the region and prompting warnings from other governments about sovereignty and regional security. In Colombia, reactions are mixed. While Petro’s government reiterates cooperation on drug interdiction and other security matters with the US.

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