In brief
In a controversial statement, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has alleged that the US recently bombed a vessel in international waters that was manned by Colombian citizens. The US has conducted multiple strikes in the Caribbean, killing 21 people, which it claims were aimed at narco-traffickers. However, Petro insists these actions represent broader aggression against Latin America, while the White House has dismissed his claims as baseless.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has said that a boat recently bombed by the US was 'Colombian with Colombian citizens inside', an allegation the White House called 'baseless'.
The US has struck at least four vessels in the Caribbean in recent weeks, killing 21 people. The US government has said the strikes in international waters were targeting 'narco-traffickers'.
But it has not provided evidence or details about who or what is aboard, and the strikes have attracted condemnation in countries in the region amid concerns they breach international law.
The US Senate rejected a measure on Wednesday that would have barred President Donald Trump from using military force against the boats.
Petro replied to a post on X by US Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat, who said he would vote to block strikes against vessels in the Caribbean as some lawmakers sought to challenge the use of the armed forces in Congress.
The Colombian president said that a 'new war scenario has opened up: the Caribbean'.
Petro added that 'indications show that the last boat bombed was Colombian with Colombian citizens inside it.' He urged the families of victims to come forward and label the operations as a 'war for oil and it must be stopped by the world'.
The White House responded, declaring it looks forward to Petro's retraction of his 'reprehensible statement'.
At a recent forum in Brussels, Petro expanded on the situation, insisting on international discourse for resolving the strikes, while the US continues to affirm its operations target illegal activities, stating the strikes began on September 2 and focused on vessels near Venezuela.
The situation has raised significant questions about the legality of US actions in international waters, especially concerning how the designation of those targeted as 'enemy fighters' could extend US military actions abroad.
