The White House calls President Petro's statements about the attack on a narco-boat "unfounded" and asks him to retract them

The White House requested that the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, retract his statements about a recent U.S. attack on a boat in the Caribbean Sea. Washington called his statements "unfounded and reprehensible" and called for a public rectification in order to "resume a productive dialogue on building a strong and prosperous future for the people of the United States and Colombia," according to a statement quoted by Noticias Caracol.

The origin of the controversy: a message in X

The request arises after Petro affirmed in his X account that "indications show that the last bombed boat was Colombian with Colombian citizens inside." The president added that what happened was not a war against smuggling but "a war for oil," which, in his opinion, should be stopped by the international community.

The Colombian president's comments were interpreted by Washington as an attempt to delegitimize U.S. actions, which, according to official reports, were directed against vessels linked to drug trafficking and terrorism.

Petro responds to White House request

The Colombian president was quick to respond. From his X account, he asked Washington to deliver information on the victims of the attack. "The White House gives us the information on the people who have been killed by US missiles to know if my information is unfounded," Petro wrote, leaving open the diplomatic confrontation between both governments.