Colombian President Gustavo Petro said that a possible suspension of financial aid from the United States would not have a serious impact on the country, but warned that reducing military support could create problems, reports “Reuters“, quoted by News.bg.
His statement comes after US President Donald Trump threatened over the weekend to raise tariffs on Colombian imports and announced that all forms of aid to Colombia had been suspended.
"What will happen if they stop the aid? In my opinion - nothing," Petro told reporters in Bogota, adding that most of the aid is managed by US agencies and actually creates jobs for Americans.
Still, the president stressed the importance of military cooperation: "If they cut our military aid, we will have problems. The most serious effect will be the loss of US helicopters."
Colombia was until recently one of the largest recipients of US aid in the Western Hemisphere, but this year funds have been sharply reduced after the closure of USAID.
Meanwhile, Washington has "declassified" Colombia's efforts to combat drug trafficking, paving the way for further cuts, although military cooperation and intelligence sharing continue.
Tensions between the two countries have also increased over US strikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea that killed dozens of people. Petro condemned the actions as a violation of international law, and human rights groups described them as "reckless".
In response, Trump called Petro an "illegal drug lord" and "bad guy", which led to the recall of the Colombian ambassador from Washington. On Sunday, Petro met with the acting head of the US mission in Bogota, but with no signs of rapprochement.
The US president has not yet imposed new tariffs beyond the current 10% on Colombian goods, but has warned that "he may take serious measures". Petro responded that he did not expect sanctions on oil and coal exports, which account for 60% of Colombia's exports to the United States, and that the country would seek alternative markets if new restrictions were imposed.
Analysts have noted that the increased tariffs could change the long-standing US strategy that free trade makes legal exports more attractive than drug trafficking. They say this could backfire, encouraging an illegal economy.
Petro said his government had seized a record 2,800 tons of cocaine in three years, but accused Trump of using the conflict to strengthen Colombia's far right ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections next year.