Colombian President accuses US of violating sovereignty; Indian-origin politician Saikat Chakrabarti slams ‘normalised state violence’
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Tensions have escalated between Colombia and the United States after Colombian President Gustavo Petro accused the US of violating his country’s sovereignty and killing a local fisherman in a military strike. The incident, which occurred in September, has sparked global outrage and condemnation, reported timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
Indian-origin US Congress candidate Saikat Chakrabarti calls the killing a “state-sanctioned murder.”
According to Colombian authorities, the US military fired a missile at an alleged drug-trafficking vessel off the South American coast, resulting in the death of Alejandro Carranza, a Colombian fisherman. President Petro denounced the act, calling it a violation of Colombia’s sovereignty.
“The United States has invaded our national territory, firing a missile to kill a humble fisherman, destroying his family and his children,” Petro said, insisting that Carranza had no links to drug trafficking. “The United States has murdered an honest, hardworking Colombian citizen,” he added in a fiery address.
The situation worsened when Donald Trump responded online, accusing Petro of being “an illegal drug leader” who allows large-scale drug production in Colombia. “Petro, a low-rated and very unpopular leader, better close up these killing fields immediately, or the United States will close them up for him,” Trump wrote in a post.
Following the escalating spat, the US reportedly revoked Petro’s visa after he urged American soldiers to disobey Trump’s orders during a United Nations visit.
Reacting to the controversy, Saikat Chakrabarti, the Indian-origin progressive running against Nancy Pelosi for Congress, condemned the killing. “This is a state-sanctioned murder,” he said. “But we have normalised state violence to such an extent in America, including against our own citizens, that this will barely go noticed because it was someone in another country.”
Chakrabarti’s remarks have reignited debate on America’s use of military force abroad and its impact on international relations, with many calling for a thorough investigation into the Colombian fisherman’s death.
