Colombian President Slams Trump for 'Allying with Drug Traffickers' by Backing Far-Right Candidate
Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for publicly supporting a far-right candidate in Colombia's presidential election, calling it an alliance with drug traffickers. Trump endorsed Abelardo de la Espriella, a lawyer who has defended drug cartels.
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- 📰 Published: June 5, 2026 at 14:15
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(AFP, Bogota, 5th) Outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Tuesday sharply criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for publicly supporting a far-right candidate in Colombia's presidential election, calling the move an "alliance with the drug traffickers he claims to fight."
According to AFP, Petro was responding to Trump's support for hardline lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia's presidential race.
Espriella, 47, amassed a fortune by providing legal services to drug trafficking armed groups, fraudsters, and soccer stars. He pulled off an upset in the first round of the presidential election on May 31, defeating Petro's ally, leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda. The two will face off again in a runoff on June 21.
Trump publicly endorsed Espriella on the 2nd, praising his "tremendous success in life and his political support for me."
In an exclusive interview with AFP, Petro, Colombia's first leftist president, said: "The United States' allies in Colombia come from the narco-paramilitary regime. They are genocidal killers and drug traffickers."
Espriella has vowed to deepen U.S.-Colombia relations to an "unprecedented" level if elected. He also has the support of former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who has been accused of colluding with paramilitary groups during the worst period of Colombia's 60-year civil war, leading to the massacre of thousands of civilians.
Petro and Cepeda have accused paramilitary groups of carrying out a "genocidal" persecution of leftist politicians, including Cepeda's father, a communist senator who was assassinated in 1994.
Last year, Trump imposed sanctions on Petro, accusing him of tolerating cocaine production and trafficking, calling him a "drug kingpin."
The two have also clashed over U.S. deportations of migrants and deadly operations against suspected drug vessels in Latin America, though tensions eased somewhat after Petro visited the White House in February.
According to AFP, Petro was responding to Trump's support for hardline lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia's presidential race.
Espriella, 47, amassed a fortune by providing legal services to drug trafficking armed groups, fraudsters, and soccer stars. He pulled off an upset in the first round of the presidential election on May 31, defeating Petro's ally, leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda. The two will face off again in a runoff on June 21.
Trump publicly endorsed Espriella on the 2nd, praising his "tremendous success in life and his political support for me."
In an exclusive interview with AFP, Petro, Colombia's first leftist president, said: "The United States' allies in Colombia come from the narco-paramilitary regime. They are genocidal killers and drug traffickers."
Espriella has vowed to deepen U.S.-Colombia relations to an "unprecedented" level if elected. He also has the support of former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who has been accused of colluding with paramilitary groups during the worst period of Colombia's 60-year civil war, leading to the massacre of thousands of civilians.
Petro and Cepeda have accused paramilitary groups of carrying out a "genocidal" persecution of leftist politicians, including Cepeda's father, a communist senator who was assassinated in 1994.
Last year, Trump imposed sanctions on Petro, accusing him of tolerating cocaine production and trafficking, calling him a "drug kingpin."
The two have also clashed over U.S. deportations of migrants and deadly operations against suspected drug vessels in Latin America, though tensions eased somewhat after Petro visited the White House in February.