Fact Check: Did Colombian president call on The Hague to probe Trump over Caribbean attacks?

WASHINGTON, DC: A rumor is swirling that Colombian President Gustavo Petro urged The Hague to investigate President Donald Trump over alleged military strikes on Venezuelan “narco-terrorist” boats in the Caribbean in the fall of 2025.

The claim has sparked both excitement and debate, but did Petro really call for an investigation into Trump? 

Claim: Colombian President Gustavo Petro urged The Hague to investigate Trump

In late 2025, a rumor circulated online claiming that Gustavo Petro had called on The Hague to launch an investigation into Donald Trump over boat strikes in the Caribbean. But where did this rumor originate?

According to a November 9, 2025, post on X, a user expressed joy over the claim that Petro had requested a criminal investigation into Trump for his actions in the Caribbean Sea. The user wrote, “Who’s happy that Colombian President Petro called for The Hague to make a criminal investigation intro Trump for his crimes int he seas of the Caribbean, And everywhere else?” Within hours of being shared, the post garnered thousands of views and likes.

The claim quickly spread across social media platforms, with one Facebook post on November 10 stating, “BREAKING: Colombian President Gustavo Petro calls for The Hague to begin a criminal investigation into Trump for his crimes in the Caribbean Sea and internationally.”

To provide context on the US boat strikes, the United States has been carrying out operations against Venezuelan boats in international waters, claiming the vessels belong to narco-terrorists who traffic drugs to finance terrorist activities. These strikes sparked debates among global leaders, with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro condemning the first attack as a heinous crime and accusing the US military of targeting civilians.

Petro’s rumored statement about investigating Trump emerged after he claimed that the US had killed an innocent Colombian fisherman, Alejandro Carranzo. But did Petro really call for an investigation into Trump?

When did Gustavo Petro make the claim about Trump?

President Donald Trump delivers remarks during the swearing-in ceremony of US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor in the Oval Office of the White House on November 10, 2025 in Washington, DC (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Boat strikes, which appeared to target both Venezuelan and Colombian citizens, prompted President Gustavo Petro to speak at the UN General Assembly on September 23, 2025. In his speech, he criticized the US military for striking boats and called for a “criminal investigation” into US officials, even suggesting that it should include President Donald Trump.

The portion of the speech where he mentioned this appears around the 7:40 mark of a CNN en Espanol video. Translated from Spanish, Petro said, “A criminal inquiry must be opened against officials of the US, even if it must include the top official who gave the order, President Trump.”

It was no coincidence that Petro made this call during the UN General Assembly, where leaders from all member countries gather. International criminal cases involving unlawful killings fall under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC), often referred to as “The Hague” because it is based in The Hague, Netherlands.

Although Petro did not mention “The Hague” directly, his statement clearly referred to it. The ICC was created through the 1998 Rome Statute. To come under the ICC’s jurisdiction, countries must be signatories to this treaty, something the United States has not done. However, both Venezuela and Colombia are among the 125 nations that have signed it.

Because of this, some legal experts argue that ICC prosecutors might have limited grounds to open a criminal case against Trump related to the alleged strikes.