Diplomatic tensions between Colombia and the United States continue to unfold following new remarks by Colombian President Gustavo Petro directed at US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Speaking at a public event on Friday, Petro accused Rubio of seeking to have him imprisoned.

“If he wants to put me in an orange jumpsuit, let him try, but this nation does not kneel,” Petro said, insisting that pressure from Washington would not succeed. He further cautioned the United States: “Do not threaten us, do not deceive us, because we know the moves. Two centuries of knowledge, of going from war to war in this country. Wars of all kinds, sometimes for nothing.”

The president added that Rubio “must kneel because there is a jaguar about to wake up here,” suggesting Colombia would stand firm in the face of foreign political pressure. Petro argued that whatever “hatreds from the past” Rubio may hold, “do not make any Colombian responsible for what happened to his grandfather or his father.”

Political rivals lobbying in Washington

Petro also claimed that several Colombian political figures recently traveled to the United States to influence Rubio against him. Among those named were Cali Mayor Alejandro Eder, Medellin Mayor Federico Gutiérrez, presidential hopeful Vicky Davila, and former Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva.

According to Petro, the purpose of their visit was to push the narrative within the US government, through Rubio, that he is aligned with drug traffickers. He described this as part of “a strategy” to discredit his presidency.

These statements follow a recent report by Cambio magazine revealing an alleged plan to send Petro to prison. The article cited documents claimed to originate from the office of US Congressman Bernie Moreno, outlining steps toward prosecuting the Colombian leader.

The claims gained attention after the White House published a photograph showing Moreno holding a folder reportedly containing those documents. The same image showed an AI-generated depiction of President Petro dressed in prison attire next to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

US sanctions Petro

The United States imposed in late October sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, his son Nicolas Petro, First Lady Veronica Alcocer, and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, according to a statement from the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The move comes under Washington’s latest counter-narcotics designations, which target individuals allegedly linked to illicit financial activities, a claim observers have said holds no basis.

In its announcement, OFAC confirmed that the four figures were added to the agency’s Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List, which effectively freezes any US-based assets and prohibits US citizens and entities from engaging in transactions with them.

"The following individuals have been added to OFAC's SDN List: ALCOCER GARCIA, Veronica del Socorro ... BENEDETTI VILLANEDA, Armando Alberto ... PETRO BURGOS, Nicolas Fernando ... PETRO URREGO, Gustavo Francisco," the statement read.

Petro affirms to remain steadfast

This comes after Petro affirmed that he will stand against the slander directed at him by senior US officials on US soil, stressing that he will "take legal action to defend himself against these allegations."

In his remarks, Petro indicated that he would not back down from his stance against genocide and assassinations in the Caribbean, affirming his support for human rights and his continued fight against violence in the region.

Petro also stressed that Colombia is ready to provide support in combating drug trafficking in the region, saying, "When the American community asks for our help in this area, it will receive it."

Colombian officials sharply rebuked Trump after he labeled President Gustavo Petro “an illegal drug leader” in a Truth Social post and announced the suspension of all US aid to Colombia.