Colombia's Petro warns of Latin American 'rebellion' if US doesn't rethink policy

Colombian President Gustavo Petro
Photo: El Pais

U.S. pressure on dissenting Latin American leaders could lead to a "rebellion" against Washington's influence, Colombian President Gustavo Petro warned in an interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais published on Saturday.

Petro, a former member of the leftist M-19 guerrilla, has frequently clashed with President Donald Trump, whose administration placed him on a sanctions list, compiled by the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, for alleged involvement in the ⁠global illicit drug trade.

The 65-year-old, who travelled to Barcelona for a summit alongside the leaders of Spain, Brazil and Mexico, told El Pais the OFAC sanctions were being used as a political instrument to extort "those of us who espouse dissenting politics".

"It's a system like the one the Spanish king had a few centuries ago. And what was Latin America's response? Rebellion. That's what will happen now if the ⁠U.S. government isn't capable of rethinking its ties to Latin America," he said.

Gustavo Petro has issued a warning about possible 'rebellion' in response to perceived U.S. pressure on dissenting Latin American leaders. During an interview with Spanish publication El Pais, Petro highlighted Washington's influence as a potential catalyst for unrest, citing recent sanctions against him as an example.

Petro, speaking in Barcelona at a summit, asserted that the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions serve as political instruments to exert control over political dissidents. Echoing historical parallels, Petro likened the situation to Spanish colonial rule, which sparked uprisings in Latin America centuries ago.

According to Petro, the U.S. bombing of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, in the operation to capture President Nicolas Maduro in January instilled fear in ⁠many leaders.

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