Colombia seeks Qatar's mediation role to end US strikes on Caribbean boats
Colombian President Gustavo Petro on
Thursday urged Qatar to mediate between the United States and Caribbean nations
— including Colombia — following a series of U.S. missile strikes on suspected
drug boats. Petro condemned what he described as an “American policy of
launching missiles at young Caribbean people.”
The appeal came a day after Petro
accused the Trump administration of carrying out a lethal strike that likely
killed Colombian nationals. He called the operation an act of aggression that
risked igniting a regional conflict, alleging that Washington was “starting a
war for oil, not stopping drug smuggling.”
Read More Qatar’s
mediation efforts boost global peace and stability: Ambassador
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, however, said the most recent strike killed four individuals identified by U.S. intelligence as drug traffickers.
Petro said he would raise the issue
with European Union leaders during the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, urging
the international community to intervene and prevent further U.S. attacks on
vessels in the Caribbean.
The White House dismissed Petro’s
statements as unfounded, saying it expected the Colombian president to retract
his claims. It reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to cooperation with Bogotá in
promoting regional stability, according to the BBC.
Read More Britain
praises Qatar's role in securing release of two British citizens detained in
Afghanistan
Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate on Wednesday rejected a war powers resolution that sought to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to authorize additional strikes.
The New York Times reported
that the Trump administration recently deployed 10,000 troops to the Caribbean
— primarily in Puerto Rico — and that Qatar had previously offered to mediate
between Washington and affected Caribbean nations, an offer the U.S. declined.
Source: https://wng.org/