Several Hispanic Republican lawmakers are blasting Colombian President Gustavo Petro after he suggested that President Donald Trump should be removed from office.
"Colombia's narcoterrorist-in-chief, Gustavo Petro, has just threatened to 'overthrow' President Trump," Rep. Carlos Giménez, R-Fla., wrote Monday on X. "Petro's threats must be taken seriously.
"He is a genuine threat to the safety and security of our hemisphere."
Petro's remarks, reportedly made in an interview Monday with Univision, followed Trump's Truth Social post Sunday announcing that the U.S. will no longer offer subsidies to Colombia.
Trump wrote that Petro is "an illegal drug leader" who is "strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs, in big and small fields, all over Colombia."
The U.S. has recently expanded its counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean, conducting seven confirmed military strikes on suspected drug vessels.
At least one of those boats was allegedly from Colombia and carried Colombian nationals.
"Humanity has a first off ramp," Petro told Univision in Spanish. "It is to choose to change Trump in various ways. The easiest way may be through Trump himself.
"If not — get rid of Trump."
Petro then snapped his fingers.
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., also condemned Petro's remarks, writing Monday on X that the leftist leader "has gone mad."
"After this interview, it was clear: Petro has gone mad," Salazar wrote in Spanish. "He no longer cares about Colombia or its people.
"He prefers to sink the country with his failed ideology and continue pleasing his narco-dictator friends.
"And now he comes out saying that Trump needs to be 'removed'? Petro, little dictator-in-training, do you forget that Trump was democratically elected by the American people?
"Who can take a little dictator like that seriously? Colombia is at risk. And with Petro in charge, so is the relationship with the U.S."
Petro pushed back Tuesday on X, insisting that his comments were misinterpreted.
"I did not threaten Trump," he wrote. "I only said that Trump should change his heart — from defending death policies in the world, like the genocide in Palestine, to life policies.
"If there is no such change, then the American people themselves will change Trump because one cannot go toward general suicide."
Last month, the State Department revoked Petro's visa after he participated in a pro-Palestinian protest in New York City.
During that protest, he told U.S. soldiers, "Don't point your rifles against humanity" and "disobey the orders of Trump."
In a White House response, spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Newsmax, "As President Trump stated, Colombia President Gustavo Petro is an illegal drug leader strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs, despite large-scale payments and subsidies from the USA that are nothing more than a long-term rip off of America.
"President Trump has been clear that President Petro better close up these killing fields immediately, or the United States will close them up for him, and it won't be done nicely."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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