The President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, stated that the United States violated the country’s maritime sovereignty and killed a fisherman during a military deployment in the Caribbean, presented as an operation against drug traffickers.
“U.S. government officials committed a murder and violated the sovereignty of our territorial waters”, said, on Saturday, on the social network X, the left-wing head of state, who added that he awaits explanations from Washington.
“The fisherman Alejandro Carranza had no connection to drug trafficking and his daily activity was fishing,” said Petro, pointing to a Colombian who, according to him, was killed in September during an attack by US forces on a boat.
Since the beginning of September, the United States military launched at least six attacks in waters near Venezuelawhich Republican President Donald Trump justifies with the fight against drug trafficking, and which has already killed at least 27 people, including citizens of Venezuela, Colombia and Trinidad and Tobago.
In the United States parliament, Democrats claim that the attacks violate American law and international law and some Republican congressmen have sought more information from the White House about the legal justification and details of the attacks.
“Alejandro Carranza is a fisherman, we grew up in fishing families (…) it’s not fair that they bombed him like that. He’s an innocent man who was going out to earn his daily bread”, said Audenis Manjarres, the victim’s family member.
Manjarres told Colombian public television station RTVC Noticias that he recognized the boat that appears in videos of the September 15 attack broadcast by international media outlets.
Gustavo Petro also asked the Colombian Public Ministry to “grant immediate protection to the families of the victims and, if they wish, partner with Trinidad and Tobago victims to initiate legal proceedings internationally and in U.S. courts“.
Hours earlier, the President confirmed the return to the country of a Colombian citizen, survivor of a North American attack on a submarine that was allegedly transporting drugs in the Caribbean Sea.
“We welcome the Colombian arrested in the narco-submarine, we are happy that he is alive and will be judged according to the laws,” said Petro, on the social network X, without providing further details.
On Saturday, Donald Trump announced that the two survivors of the sixth US attack on vessels in the Caribbean Sea had been returned to their countries of origin, Ecuador and Colombia.
Four “narco-terrorists” were on board the submarine and two were killed, Trump wrote on his social network, Truth Social.
The Ecuadorian who survived the attack is already in Ecuador, where he will face criminal proceedings, the Government confirmed.