Colombian President Petro’s Flip-Flop on U.S. Coup Claims Highlights Deepening Diplomatic Crisis

In a revealing turn of events, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has sought to dial back his incendiary accusations against U.S. officials by sending a confidential letter to former President Donald Trump in June, attempting to calm the diplomatic firestorm he ignited. Yet despite this effort, tensions between Colombia and the United States are at their worst since the turbulent 1990s era when drug trafficking allegations led to visa denials for Colombian leaders. Petro’s original claims were bold and reckless. On June 11, he publicly accused Secretary of State Marco Rubio—wrongly conflated as a neighboring president figure—of orchestrating a coup attempt...