Rubio Recalls U.S. Diplomat From Colombia Over Petro Government's Attacks

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has pulled the top U.S. diplomat out of Colombia, signaling a dramatic escalation in tensions between the United States and the increasingly erratic left-wing government of Colombian President Gustavo Petro.

John T. McNamara, the Chargé d’Affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, was recalled to Washington for urgent consultations, according to a statement from the State Department. The move comes in response to what Rubio described as “baseless and reprehensible statements from senior Colombian government officials.”

“In addition to the recall of the Chargé, the United States is pursuing other measures to make clear our deep concern over the current state of our bilateral relationship,” the statement read.

The recall follows weeks of mounting diplomatic dysfunction. Petro who has openly praised Marxist revolutionaries and undermined U.S. immigration enforcement has accused “right-wing extremists” of plotting to overthrow him. Adding fuel to the fire, his former foreign minister Alvaro Leyva has twice accused Petro of being addicted to drugs and unfit for office.

In a damning seven-page letter posted to X, Leyva claimed Petro “went missing” during a Paris state visit due to drug use, a charge Petro denies. The embattled president insists he was visiting relatives in France and dismissed the accusations as politically motivated.

But it’s not just personal scandals straining the relationship.

Earlier this year, Petro rejected deportation flights of Colombian nationals from the U.S., claiming that the Trump administration was “treating Colombian migrants like criminals.” In response, President Trump swiftly hit back with a slate of punitive measures including a 25% tariff on Colombian imports, a full travel ban, and visa revocations for all Colombian officials and their allies. Trump threatened to double the tariffs to 50% if compliance wasn’t restored within a week.

The pressure worked. The Petro regime backed down, and deportations resumed proving again that strength, not diplomacy, is the only language leftist strongmen understand.

Despite those tensions, the two countries had agreed in March to deploy biometric technology to combat human trafficking and illegal migration. That cooperation is now on shaky ground following Petro’s escalating rhetoric and anti-American posturing.

Secretary Rubio’s move is a clear signal: the United States will not be insulted, undermined, or taken for granted by a foreign leader cozying up to narco-leftist ideologues.

“Colombia remains an essential strategic partner,” the State Department added. “But we will not allow false accusations and reckless behavior to go unanswered.”

It’s a refreshing change of tone from the days of Biden appeasement and soft-pedaling. Under the Trump-Rubio foreign policy doctrine, America defends its interests and makes no apologies for it.

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