Trump Threatens To Increase Tariffs, Colombia Withdraws Its Ambassador From The US

JAKARTA - Colombia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it withdrew its ambassador from the United States after US President Donald Trump said he would raise rates against Colombia and stop all payments to the South American country.

The Colombian-US feud is related to a feud that stems from a US military attack on ships suspected of carrying drugs.

Trump also called Colombia's President Gustavo Petro "illegal drug leader" on Sunday, accusations that the Petro administration said alluded to.

"Daniel Garcia-Pena, the Colombian Ambassador to the United States, has been recalled for consultation by President Gustavo Petro and is now in Bogota," the Colombian Foreign Ministry said.

"In the coming hours, the national government will inform the decisions that have been taken," he continued.

Trump's remarks about drug dealers mark a new low in relations between Washington and Bogota, which Trump has accused of involvement in illegal drug trafficking.

Petro has expressed objections to US military attacks on ships in the Caribbean, which have killed dozens of people and ignited tensions in the region. Many legal experts and human rights activists also condemned the military's actions.

Trump said US financial assistance to Colombia would be suspended and details of the new rates would be announced on Monday, but it is unclear what funding Trump is referring to.

Colombia was once one of the largest US beneficiaries in the Western Hemisphere, but the flow of funds was suddenly hampered this year due to the closure of USAID, the US government's humanitarian agency.

Colombia is currently paying a 10% tariff for most imports into the United States, the basic level Trump imposes on many countries.