Bogotá, January 8, 2026 — Colombia is escalating its diplomatic clash with the United States following the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, with President Gustavo Petro accusing Washington of a “profoundly imperial” act and even drawing parallels to historical injustices. The escalating tensions center around accusations that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are involved in trafficking cocaine into the U.S.
Petro took to social media to claim that Flores was “kidnapped,” questioning the legal basis for holding her accountable for alleged crimes committed by her husband. “And since the case of Cilia Flores cannot be called kidnapping, the charge is that she is Maduro’s wife, what barbarity is that? Since when has responsibility for crime been collectivized in the United States, that was Hitler’s legal thesis against the Jewish and socialist people and the Soviet people, and where is world feminism?” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, have both pleaded not guilty before a New York judge to charges of narco-terrorism. The situation has prompted Colombia to formally protest to the U.S. and request a meeting with John McNamara to demand respect for Petro’s position.
Petro’s Strong Words and a Disputed Video
The Colombian president has fiercely defended Maduro, while also facing scrutiny over the authenticity of a video shared to support his claims.
Petro has described Maduro’s arrest as an “aberrant” and “profoundly imperial” act, stating, “They have destroyed the rule of law worldwide. They have bloodily urinated on the sacred sovereignty of all of Latin America and the Caribbean.” He has called on the Venezuelan people, “regardless of their political composition,” to take to the streets in protest.
National Mobilization Planned, Trump Responds
In response to the situation, Petro has called for a national mobilization this Tuesday, January 7, at 4:00 p.m. in public squares across Colombia, including a planned appearance in the Plaza de Bolívar in Bogotá. Similar demonstrations are expected in Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, and Bucaramanga.
The controversy extends beyond Petro’s statements. He also shared a video purportedly showing Venezuelan youth demonstrating in support of Maduro, but it was later revealed to be a decontextualized clip from 2019, originally broadcast by RT, depicting a pro-Maduro rally with supporters displaying PSUV flags.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in, stating that a similar action against Petro in Colombia “sounded good” to him, and characterized the Colombian president as “a sick man who likes to manufacture cocaine and sell it to the United States.”
Petro has repeatedly invoked the image of a “jaguar” to symbolize resistance against U.S. intervention. Labor Minister Antonio Sanguino echoed this sentiment, stating, “The jaguar is awake! Faced with the threat of foreign intervention, the answer is mobilization.” Petro first used the “jaguar” metaphor in December when responding to warnings from Trump.
“Do not threaten our sovereignty, because you will wake up the Jaguar. Attacking our sovereignty is declaring war, do not damage two centuries of diplomatic relations,” Petro posted on X in December.
What are the charges against Maduro and his wife? Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores are accused of narco-terrorism and conspiring to traffic cocaine into the United States. Both have pleaded not guilty.
- Colombia’s President Petro has strongly condemned the arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro.
- Petro has accused the U.S. of violating international law and has called for protests.
- A video shared by Petro to support his claims was found to be from 2019 and misrepresented current events.
- Former President Trump has made provocative statements about both Maduro and Petro.
- A national mobilization is planned in Colombia on January 7th.
