Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro slammed US President Donald Trump over his approach to policies and his alleged racial attitude as the two nations narrowly avoided an all-out trade war after Bogota decided to accept migrant deportation flights from the US.

In a social media post, Petro wrote that he hopes to one day, “over a glass of whiskey”, talk about issues with Donald Trump, adding that it is difficult as he is considered “inferior” by the newly sworn in US President.

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In a lengthy viral post on X, Columbia’s first left-wing president slammed Trump for his attitude toward Bogota and threatened retaliatory tariffs before his government reversed course on the issue.

“You will kill me, but I will survive in my people, which is before yours, in the Americas. We are peoples of the winds, the mountains, the Caribbean Sea and freedom,” Petro said on X.

The White House announced the suspension of Trump’s retaliation plans for Colombia after Bogota diluted its earlier stance, asking the US to avoid the “degrading treatment” of migrants and establish better protocols.

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Washington’s draft measures, now suspended, included imposing 25% tariffs on all Colombian goods coming into the US, which would go up to 50% in one week; a travel ban and visa revocations on Colombian government officials; and emergency treasury, banking and financial sanctions.

Slams Trump for ‘greed’

Petro suggested that a frank conversation with Trump would be difficult as the US President considers Colombians an “inferior race.”

“I don’t like your oil, Trump, you are going to wipe out the human species because of greed. Maybe one day, over a glass of whiskey, which I accept, despite my gastritis, we can talk frankly about this, but it’s difficult because you consider me an inferior race and I’m not, nor is any Colombian,” Petro wrote.

The leftist leader also asserted that Trump’s threats do not “scare” him and vowed to “resist”. Petro said that his country does not look up to the north anymore and also suggested a collective response from the Americas and the whole of humanity if Trump decided to “overthrow” him as Colombia’s president.

“You don’t like our freedom, okay. I don’t shake hands with white slavers. I shake hands with the white libertarian heirs of Lincoln and the black and white farm boys of the USA, at whose graves I cried and prayed on a battlefield, which I reached after walking the mountains of Italian Tuscany and after being saved from Covid,” Petro added.