US airstrikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea are an act of tyranny, Colombia's President Gustavo Petro told the BBC in an interview where he also called for criminal proceedings against US officials if investigations find Colombians were killed in the attacks.
President Donald Trump has cast the strikes, which have reportedly killed 17 since they began this month, as needed to stop the flow of fentanyl and other illegal narcotics into the US.
Legal experts and lawmakers, though, have questioned if they violate international human rights laws.
Why launch a missile if you could simply stop the boat and arrest the crew? asked Petro. That's what one would call murder.
Speaking to the BBC, Petro stated that there should be zero deaths in stopping speedboats believed to be involved in drug smuggling. We have a long history of collaborating with American agencies ... No one has ever died before. There is no need to kill anyone.\
Petro criticized the strikes, pointing out that the principle of proportionality of force is violated if anything more serious than a pistol is used.
The strikes, primarily aimed at targets in international waters near Colombia’s neighbor Venezuela, are shrouded in controversy, particularly around the claims that members of the Tren de Aragua gang were involved.
Democratic lawmakers in Washington have demanded answers regarding the legality of these actions, which UN experts have described as extrajudicial executions. In response to Petro’s criticisms, the White House insisted that Trump is committed to using all available power to combat drug trafficking.
Petro expressed his desire for dignified treatment and respect for his country, remarking that South American nations would not “bow down to the king,” referencing Trump’s earlier derogatory remarks about him.
