Colombia’s outgoing foreign minister, Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio, has rejected Washington’s explanation for the sanctions imposed on President Gustavo Petro, saying the real trigger was his public criticism of Israel and his description of the war in Gaza as a genocide. In an interview broadcast on Sunday, she insisted that the decision to place Petro on the US sanctions list had nothing to do with drug trafficking.
«President [Petro’s] inclusion on the OFAC list [is] in no way related to drug trafficking,» Villavicencio said. «These measures were taken against the president because of his firm and principled stance when he openly described what is happening in Palestine as genocide. That was the real reason.»
Washington sanctioned Petro last year, accusing him of «allowing drug cartels to flourish» and «refusing to stop» narcotics trafficking. President Donald Trump has described Petro as an «illegal drug leader» and openly backed Abelardo de la Espriella, a right-wing candidate who campaigned on restoring closer ties with Washington, in the recent Colombian presidential election. De la Espriella, nicknamed «Tiger» and seen as close to Trump, claimed victory over left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda, who was supported by Petro.
Villavicencio, who serves as foreign minister in the outgoing government, dismissed the official justification for the sanctions. She pointed to what she described as record results in counter-narcotics efforts under Petro’s administration. «We are talking about record-breaking seizures of cocaine, exceeding the figures achieved by any previous administration,» she said. She added that authorities had dismantled cocaine laboratories, extradited suspects, confiscated criminal assets, and kept the United States informed of those efforts.
Relations between Bogota and Washington, Colombia’s largest trading partner, have deteriorated for years. The foreign minister cited differences over US policy in Latin America, especially toward Venezuela and Cuba, disagreements over regional anti-drug efforts, and broader geopolitical divisions. However, she said Petro’s outspoken support for Palestine and his criticism of Israel were the decisive factor behind the sanctions.
Petro broke off diplomatic relations with Israel in 2024 over its military campaign in Gaza and has repeatedly accused Israel of genocide. His government suspended all Israeli arms purchases, ending Colombia’s long-standing reliance on Israeli military technology, banned coal exports to Israel, and later expelled Israel’s remaining diplomats after an aid flotilla carrying Colombian activists was intercepted by Israeli forces. Colombia also formally joined South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Petro has also alleged that Israel interfered in Colombia’s presidential election by hacking election servers. He has said he will not attend the inauguration of President-elect de la Espriella and questioned the legitimacy of the vote. Petro is due to hand power to de la Espriella on August 7.
De la Espriella has pledged to restore full diplomatic ties with Israel, effectively reversing nearly every major foreign-policy decision of the Petro administration. That would mark a sharp shift in Colombia’s position on the Middle East and its relationship with Washington.
The Gaza conflict, meanwhile, remains unresolved. Earlier this week, Hamas said it had accepted Trump’s Board of Peace proposal for phased disarmament, provided Israel fulfills its commitments, including a phased military withdrawal, humanitarian access, and progress on reconstruction. Israel has yet to formally endorse the proposal, however, insisting that any withdrawal can only begin after Hamas fully disarms, leaving the process deadlocked. Israeli forces have continued operations across Gaza, with Palestinian officials reporting at least one person killed and several others wounded in strikes on Friday.