Colombia's Petro says his country is being threatened under pretext of anti-drug fight

By Sinan Dogan and Yasin Gungor

BOGOTA/ISTANBUL (AA) - Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Thursday that his country is being accused of drug trafficking and threatened under the pretext of anti-narcotics efforts by the United States.

Petro was responding to statements by US President Donald Trump targeting Colombia, defending his country against accusations that it is not fighting drug trafficking.

The Colombian leader said his nation is being threatened despite the losses Colombians have suffered for years in the drug war, adding that critics now claim Colombia is not combating drug trafficking.

"The order of the Commander-in-Chief is this: We defend our sovereignty at the cost of our lives. Colombia cannot be threatened. Anyone who turns these threats into action will awaken the sleeping jaguar within the Colombian people," Petro said, speaking to military officers.

Criticizing US operations in the Caribbean conducted under the pretext of fighting drug organizations, Petro said it humiliates "us, and our people suffer from this situation."

Petro earlier invited Trump to visit and witness his government's efforts to destroy drug-producing labs, saying authorities eliminate one lab every 40 minutes.

Trump said Tuesday that he heard "Colombia, the country of Colombia, is making cocaine," adding: "Anybody that's doing that and selling it into our country is subject to attack."

The US has expanded military operations across Latin America in recent months, deploying Marines, warships, fighter jets, bombers, submarines and drones, saying the goal is to combat drug trafficking, targeting "narco-terrorist" organizations and their vessels.