Colombian President Gustavo Petro accuses Trump of interfering in his country's election

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA: Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Tuesday, June 2, accused President Donald Trump of interfering in his country’s upcoming presidential election, after Trump publicly endorsed conservative candidate Abelardo de la Espriella ahead of a high-stakes runoff vote later this month.

The spat comes as Colombians prepare to choose their next president in a June 21 runoff election. Trump’s “full and total endorsement” went to De la Espriella, a right-wing lawyer who came first in the first round of voting, drawing criticism from Petro, who said the US president was trying to interfere in Colombia’s democratic process.

Gustavo Petro says Trump's endorsement crosses a line

In an interview with CBS News, Petro said Trump had gone beyond simply expressing an opinion and entered the territory of foreign political intervention.

Trump weighed in on Colombia's election after de la Espriella won the first round.

In a social media post, he gave de la Espriella his "Complete and Total Endorsement," and warned that "the results of this Election are very important to the future of Colombia and its relationship to the United States."

"Our republics were founded on the principles of freedom and sovereignty," Petro said, claiming the US government is siding with narco-paramilitarism, underscoring Trump's support of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted and recently pardoned by Trump. 

Petro said friction between his administration and the White House has come "because we are progressives, because we are on the left, and because we disagree on issues like Gaza."

The Colombian leader further claimed Washington had increasingly aligned itself against his administration while supporting political forces he opposes. Despite the criticism, Petro said he hopes to maintain workable relations with the United States.

According to a Colombian official working with Petro, he will no longer meet with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, as he had initially planned during his visit to the United Nations. 

Election battle highlights deep political divide

The runoff election has become one of the most closely watched political contests in Latin America.

Days after far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella finished first in Sunday's vote with 43.7% of the vote, followed by leftist Iván Cepeda with 40.9%, Petro sat down with CBS News to discuss his alternative approach to the war on d***s. 

Petro defended his record on the cultivation of coca, the base material for cocaine. He called Trump's endorsement of his opponent an act of interference and accused Washington of abandoning anti-d**g mission cooperation for ideological reasons. Petro warned that if the right comes to power, Colombia will see a wave of political violence.

Petro argues that by supporting the right wing, the US is "losing allies who could be powerful partners in the fight against d**g trafficking."

Instead, he feels undermined by the Trump administration because of his progressive politics.