Not democracy or drugs, oil ‘at heart' of Trump's pressure tactics on Venezuela: Colombian president Gustavo Petro

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has alleged that the Donald Trump-led United States government's pressure tactics against Venezuela and its President Nicolás Maduro do not stem from concerns over drug trafficking or democracy, but rather, the South American country's vast oil reserves.

Notably, the American military has increased activity in the Caribbean and the Pacific based on claims that it is fighting drugs flowing into the US from South America.

In an interview with CNN, Petro accused the US of imperialistic behaviour, adding that he believes the actions against Venezuela are in pursuit of the country's oil reserves, believed to be the largest in the world.

The report said that the US Department of State and the White House have been reached for comment.

What did Colombia's Gustavo Petro say?

Speaking to CNN, Petro said that Venezuela is not considered a major drug producer and a relatively small part of the global drugs trade flows through the country. “(Oil) is at the heart of the matter. So, that’s a negotiation about oil. I believe that is (US President Donald) Trump’s logic. He’s not thinking about the democratisation of Venezuela, let alone the narco-trafficking,” he told CNN.

On 25 November, Petro also accused the US of imperialistic actions, alleging that it is trying to “impose its will on neighbours”, adding, “The United States cannot be considered an empire, but one of the nations among others.”

Regarding his message to the American people, the South American leader stated that he wants to convey the same message given to members of the US special forces: “Your function, as they say in the oaths, is to fight against oppression.”

Petro recalled his speech at the end of the UN General Assembly in September, where he called on American soldiers to disobey Trump and “not to point their rifles at humanity”, telling CNN that the move cost him — his visa was revoked.

Petro says Trump fails to acknowledge his wins due to pride

Donald Trump and Gustavo Petro have clashed at multiple points since the US president took office. In October, the US Treasury sanctioned Petro for his alleged “role in the global illicit drugs trade”. This is something the Colombian leader has rejected.

Speaking to CNN on the matter, he said that he has made efforts to address the drug trade and his administration has seized more cocaine than previous governments, adding when asked, that Trump has failed to acknowledge his success in increasing the country's agricultural production because of “pride”.

“In recent years, I have managed to ensure that the growth in crops, which is stagnating, is far surpassed by the growth in seizures. (Trump hasn’t acknowledged this) because of pride. Because he thinks I’m a subversive thug, a terrorist, and things like that, simply because I was a member of the M-19,” Petro told CNN. M-19 is a Colombian guerrilla movement active in the 1970s and 1980s.

On dugs trade — US, Venezuela and Colombia…

Petro also told CNN he feels that Trump is comparing him to Nicolás Maduro, adding that while he believes the Venezuelan president has a problem with democracy, he is not convinced about his drug links.

“The problem of Maduro is called democracy … the lack of democracy. No Colombian investigation … has shown us a relationship between Colombian drug trafficking and Maduro,” he stated.

Notably, this comes a day after the US designated an alleged drug trafficking group, Cartel de los Soles, as a foreign terrorist organisation, which it claims is led by Maduro. Venezuela has denied the claims, and experts feel that the group is more likely to be an action by corrupt officials rather than organised crime.

Are US-Colombia relations turning sour?

As per the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Venezuela is not a major cocaine producer. In fact, of the 3,700 tonnes of global coca production, Colombia produces over 2,500 tonnes and is traded on the north Pacific coast.

In a report published in March, the US Drug Enforcement Agency also concluded that 84% of the cocaine seized in the US comes from Colombia.

Petro acknowledged the allegations but said that ties between drug traffickers and officials had existed before he took office, CNN reported. This comes after Colombian news program Noticias Caracol last weekend reported alleged links between Colombian officials and dissidents of the now-defunct rebel group FARC.

Historically, the US and Colombia have been allies. In 2022, the Joe Biden administration designated it a “major non-NATO ally”, and despite tensions between Trump and Petro, relations remain intact.

In a previous statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US’s issues are with Petro, and not the Colombian people, economy, politics or institutions. “Our relationships with the people of Colombia, the economic sector of Colombia, the majority of people in politics in Colombia, and their institutions, in particular their defence institutions, are strong and enduring, and they’re going to be strong and enduring long after this individual is no longer the president there,” Rubio said.