On Thursday, the White House denied claims from Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro that the latest U.S. military strike in the Caribbean struck a boat carrying Colombian citizens.
Petro on Wednesday said last week’s operation on a vessel that the Trump administration argued was smuggling drugs into the country targeted a boat with Colombians on board.
The White House dismissed the accusation, saying it hopes Petro will publicly retract his “baseless and reprehensible” statement.
“The United States looks forward to President Petro publicly retracting his baseless and reprehensible statement so that we can return to a productive dialogue on building a strong, prosperous future for the people of United States and Colombia,” a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Hill on Thursday.
The official noted that “despite policy differences with the current government,” Colombia is still an “essential strategic partner.”
They added, ” We are committed to close cooperation on a range of shared priorities, including regional security and stability, and we remain engaged in efforts that improve the lives of Americans and Colombians alike.”
The U.S. military has conducted four strikes against alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea in recent weeks, killing 21 people, according to the administration. The most recent strike, which took place last week in international waters off the coast of Venezuela, blew up a vessel allegedly carrying narcotics in international waters and killed four people, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.
