‘You May Kill Me, But…’: Colombian President Targets Trump Amid Tariff War

Last Updated:January 27, 2025, 11:39 IST

Colombia succumbed to Donald Trump’s pressure and accepted defeat in the tariff war with the United States. But before the agreement, the Colombian President lashed out at Trump in a long post.

Colombia succumbs to Donald Trump’s pressure amid tariff war (Reuters Image)

Moments before being defeated in the tariff war by Donald Trump, Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticised the US President as a “white slave owner” and said that the US would “never dominate” the South American country.

He said that Trump considers him an “inferior race” and added that he is not, “nor is any Colombian”.

US-Colombia Tariff War

Petro’s strong-worded remarks came after Donald Trump on Sunday announced sanctions, including revocation of visas to government officials and imposition of 25% tariff on all Colombian goods, as Colombia refused to grant permission to two US military aircraft deporting the illegal immigrants to land.

Petro, in turn, ordered retaliatory tariffs on all US goods entering Colombia, triggering a tariff war. However, hours later, the White House said that the South American country has agreed to “all terms” of Trump, including accepting planes carrying illegal immigrants.

However, before the agreement, the Colombian President took to X and lashed out at Trump.

“Trump, I don’t much like traveling to the U.S. It’s a bit boring, but I admit there are things worthy of merit,” Petro said.

“I don’t like your oil, Trump. It will destroy the human race because of greed. Maybe one day, over a glass of whiskey—which I’ll 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,” he added.

The President said that he would “die by my principles”, adding that he was resisting Trump the way he resisted torture.

“If you know someone stubborn, that’s me. Period. You may try to impose an economic or political coup, as was done to Allende, but I will die by my principles. I resisted torture, and I resist you. I do not want slave owners near Colombia; we’ve had plenty of those, and we freed ourselves. What I want near Colombia are lovers of freedom. If you cannot join me, I will go elsewhere,” he said.

“You may kill me, but I will survive in my people, who came before yours, in the Americas. We are the people of the winds, the mountains, the Caribbean Sea, and freedom,” Petro said.

‘I Don’t Shake Hands With White Slave Owners’: Colombian President Targets Trump

“You don’t like our freedom, fine. I don’t shake hands with white slave owners. I shake hands with the white libertarians who are heirs of Lincoln and with the young Black and white farmers of the U.S., at whose graves I cried and prayed on a battlefield I reached after walking the mountains of the Italian Tuscany and surviving COVID. They are the U.S., and to them, I kneel. To no one else. Knock me down, Mr. President, and the Americas and humanity will respond. You will never dominate us,” he added.

Responding to Trump’s tariff threat in which he said that the US would impose a 25% tariff which would rise to 50% in a week, Petro said that he would take the same retaliatory action.

“I hear that you impose a 50% tariff on the fruit of our labor entering the U.S. I will do the same,” he said.