Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) has announced a three-day lockdown on civilian areas under its control, instructing residents to stay indoors as fighters conduct military drills in response to what it describes as "imperialist intervention" by the US. The announcement comes after President Donald Trump warned that nations manufacturing and exporting cocaine to the US could face military strikes or land attacks.
The ELN has told civilians to keep off major routes and rivers from Sunday morning, as the fighters prepare for a potential attack on what they perceive as Colombian territory being used by the rebels to transport drugs. The group maintains control over significant drug-producing areas along the Venezuelan frontier.
Colombia's Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez has rejected the rebel directive as "nothing more than criminal coercion", pledging that government troops would maintain their presence in every mountain, jungle, and river. This move underscores a deepening confrontation between Washington and Bogota, with Trump escalating his rhetoric against President Gustavo Petro over cocaine production.
Earlier this week, Trump warned Petro to "wise up" or face the consequences, citing cocaine production as justification for potential action and referencing the US military build-up near Venezuela amid threats to remove President Nicolas Maduro. The Trump administration has also imposed new sanctions on Venezuela, targeting three nephews of Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores.
Petro has responded with equal defiance, warning Trump against "waking the jaguar" and insisting any assault on Colombian territory would be a declaration of war. He has invited his US counterpart to witness laboratory demolitions firsthand, claiming that his administration destroys drug facilities every 40 minutes.
The ELN's left-wing ideology is at odds with the group's substantial income from narcotics trafficking, which competes with former FARC fighters who refused to disarm under a 2016 peace settlement for control of coca cultivation zones and smuggling corridors. Relations between Colombia and the US have deteriorated sharply since Trump returned to office, with Washington imposing personal sanctions on Petro, cancelling his visa after he joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York.
Meanwhile, Trump has deployed the nation's largest aircraft carrier and nearly 15,000 troops to the Caribbean and ordered over 20 military strikes in recent months against alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and off Latin America's Pacific coast, killing more than 80 people.
The ELN has told civilians to keep off major routes and rivers from Sunday morning, as the fighters prepare for a potential attack on what they perceive as Colombian territory being used by the rebels to transport drugs. The group maintains control over significant drug-producing areas along the Venezuelan frontier.
Colombia's Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez has rejected the rebel directive as "nothing more than criminal coercion", pledging that government troops would maintain their presence in every mountain, jungle, and river. This move underscores a deepening confrontation between Washington and Bogota, with Trump escalating his rhetoric against President Gustavo Petro over cocaine production.
Earlier this week, Trump warned Petro to "wise up" or face the consequences, citing cocaine production as justification for potential action and referencing the US military build-up near Venezuela amid threats to remove President Nicolas Maduro. The Trump administration has also imposed new sanctions on Venezuela, targeting three nephews of Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores.
Petro has responded with equal defiance, warning Trump against "waking the jaguar" and insisting any assault on Colombian territory would be a declaration of war. He has invited his US counterpart to witness laboratory demolitions firsthand, claiming that his administration destroys drug facilities every 40 minutes.
The ELN's left-wing ideology is at odds with the group's substantial income from narcotics trafficking, which competes with former FARC fighters who refused to disarm under a 2016 peace settlement for control of coca cultivation zones and smuggling corridors. Relations between Colombia and the US have deteriorated sharply since Trump returned to office, with Washington imposing personal sanctions on Petro, cancelling his visa after he joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York.
Meanwhile, Trump has deployed the nation's largest aircraft carrier and nearly 15,000 troops to the Caribbean and ordered over 20 military strikes in recent months against alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and off Latin America's Pacific coast, killing more than 80 people.
this is so crazy! The US is like a big bully 
always trying to impose its will on everyone else. Trump's just fueling the fire with his threats and aggressive posturing 
. Colombia needs to stand up for itself, not back down from some tough guy in Washington 
. I mean, what's next? Is he gonna send troops over there just because the ELN is talking trash about imperialism? 
It's all so dramatic 
and it's only going to make things worse. Can't they just talk it out like civilized people? 
. plus trump's just throwin around threats left and right, it's like he's tryna provoke a war or somethin'. did the eln even really just accuse him of imperialist intervention? sounds like a pretty weak excuse to me.
. where'd you get this info from? is it credible?
. So the ELN is locking down civilian areas because of some beef between Colombia and the US... but what even is going on? 
The way he's going on about "imperialist intervention" is just giving the ELN more ammo for their cause 
. And meanwhile, Petro is over here like, totally defending Colombia's sovereignty... I'm loving his confidence 
. Maybe someone can make me a pretty infographic about the whole situation so I don't have to think about it as much? 
Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) is basically saying "you can't come at us" to the US while Trump's all like "oh yeah? watch me bring the noise!" 
. I mean, who needs diplomacy when you can just deploy an aircraft carrier and kill a bunch of people... I guess that's what they mean by "strong leadership"? 
Gustavo Petro's all defiant like a teenager being told off by their parents 
. And let's be real, the US is basically just trying to get its hands on some cocaine and doesn't care who gets hurt in the process 
. This whole situation is just so... dramatic 
. Can someone please pass the popcorn? 
The ELN is already feeling threatened and now they're locking down entire areas - that's not a solution, dude! 
This whole situation just feels like a big mess.
I'm so over this Colombia-US drama. Can we please just move on from here? 
! The ELN announcing a lockdown and it's like 
be prepared 
. It's crazy how things escalate between the US and Colombia 
, especially with Trump throwing shade 
at President Petro 
. Can't we all just get along? 
. Colombia needs to stand up for itself and not let Trump bully them around... but at the same time, we can't forget about the real victims of the cocaine trade 
Colombia's situation is getting messy 
Can we really afford to be at war over this? 
come on trump what's next? deploying the entire us army to colombia? it's just cocaine we're talking about! 
it's not that hard, just say no to war and let these countries sort themselves out. and btw, why is the us so obsessed with cocaine? can't they see how it's ruining lives all over latin america? 
And Trump's just making things worse, threatening military strikes and sanctions... it's like he's never heard of diplomacy 
Colombia is getting caught in the middle of a super heated game between the US and Venezuela 
Colombia's ELN is being super dramatic about this "imperialist intervention" thingy... like, come on guys! It's just the US trying to help them out with all the cocaine stuff 
Trump's warnings aren't exactly subtle either, but you get that. The problem is, it's been building up for years and now we're at a boiling point 
But, Pedro Sanchez isn't having it 
Gustavo Petro's all like "I'm gonna keep it real" and invite Trump to witness the destruction of their own labs