Amid Trump threats, Colombia President Gustavo Petro vows to 'take up arms' for homeland

COLOMBIAN President Gustavo Petro on Monday vowed to "take up arms" in response to threats from United States President Donald Trump, who over the weekend ordered a military operation that led to the capture of Nicolas Maduro and his wife in Venezuela.

Petro, a former guerrilla fighter, wrote on X: “I swore not to touch a weapon again... but for the homeland I will take up arms again.”

Trump, meanwhile, said over the weekend that Petro should "watch his a**" and referred to him as “a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. According to Reuters, when asked directly if the United States would carry out a military operation against the country, Trump responded, "It sounds good to me."

‘You will unleash popular jaguar if….'

In a long message on X, Petro insisted that his anti-narcotics policy is sufficiently robust but stressed there were limits to how aggressive the military can be.

"If you bomb even one of these groups without sufficient intelligence, you will kill many children. If you bomb peasants, thousands will turn into guerrillas in the mountains. And if you detain the president, whom a good part of my people love and respect, you will unleash the popular jaguar," he mentioned.

Petro said that while he has never been a military figure, he understands war and underground struggle, adding that he had vowed not to take up weapons again after the 1989 Peace Pact but would do so if necessary in defence of the homeland, even though he does not desire conflict.

He rejected accusations against him, stating that he is neither illegitimate nor involved in narcotics, and said his only asset is his family home, which he continues to pay for from his salary. He noted that his bank records are public and show no spending beyond his official income, adding that he is not motivated by greed.

Petro said he has deep faith in the Colombian people, which is why he has called on them to protect the presidency from any illegitimate or violent actions. He said defending him means asserting democratic power across the country’s municipalities and added that he has instructed security forces not to fire on civilians but to resist any foreign invader.

He added that his statements were deliberate and rooted in his trust in Colombia’s history and people, including its soldiers, whom he described as heirs to Bolívar and the national flag. He concluded by portraying himself as a leader backed by the people and reaffirmed his call for a free Colombia.

Meanwhile, Trump also mentioned the United States would temporarily “run” Venezuela, though Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified on Sunday that Washington would not manage the country’s day-to-day affairs, aside from enforcing the existing "oil quarantine."

Venezuela’s newly appointed interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, has called on the US to return Maduro, who has long denied any links to drug trafficking. However, later on Sunday, she adopted a more conciliatory tone in a social media post, expressing openness to cooperation with President Trump and calling for “respectful relations” with the United States.