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I recently returned from a trip to Colombia where I had the chance to speak with the country’s business and political leaders and share my thoughts on global trends, the ongoing trade war, and America’s re-emerging interest in their part of the world. In preparation for my speech at the #CaribeBizForum 2025 [ [link removed] ], I read and reviewed news, podcasts, videos, and reports to bring myself up to speed on developments in Colombia since my last trip to the country.
Anyone following Colombia will be aware of the growing tension between Washington and Bogota which was on full display during the most recent meetings of the UN General Assembly. Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s address to the global gathering was an unabashedly left-wing socialist rant, focusing on climate change urgency, Western hypocrisy, the evils of capitalism, the urgent need for redistribution, and the tyrannical behavior of the United States.
It’s a truly remarkable speech that I’d encourage everyone to listen to, especially my friends in Asia, Africa, Australia, and Europe. (After listening, I suspect you won’t be surprised to learn—if you didn’t already know—that Petro had been a member of the M-19 guerrilla group and served time in prison).
The part of his address that I found most interesting was his lashing out at the United States. The speech took issue with the recent U.S. strikes against drug smugglers [ [link removed] ] in the Caribbean, linking them to the situation in Gaza. Petro claimed that that 17 unarmed young people were killed by missiles in open seas under the pretext of stopping drug trafficking, called for criminal cases to be brought against U.S. officials, including U.S. President Donald Trump, and said that these attacks were not about fighting drugs but were instead about using violence to dominate the people of South America.
Petro also used his time in New York to grab a megaphone and, true to his populist instincts (or perhaps guided by his media consultant?), took to the streets. He called on all American military professionals to “disobey Trump’s orders” and not point their guns at humans. The US State Department revoked his visa—noting his comments were “reckless and incendiary”—and threatened to deport him if he did not leave the country.
Longtime readers know that I have often written about the changing U.S. global role under the Trump Administration [ [link removed] ]. While some see isolationism, I see refocusing. While some see hypocrisy in pulling back from the War on Terror while using the same tactics and legal justifications to wage a War on Drugs, I see consistency. And while some see confusion in eschewing military interventionism in other parts of the world while blowing drug boats out of the water off the coast of South America, I see a coherent policy. The U.S. isn’t pulling back from the world altogether but rather prioritizing the local neighborhood. I have called this dynamic the Trump Doctrine [ [link removed] ] and refer to it as the 21st century reincarnation of the Monroe Doctrine.
Let’s also remember that Colombia has a free trade agreement with the United States, has historically received hundreds of millions of dollars in support from Washington, and has been a strong partner with the US in the fight against drugs. For decades, US presidents have praised Bogota for its improving security, domestic peace process, cooperation in the war on drugs, and economic partnership with America. President Biden even referred to Colombia as the “keystone” to a prosperous Western Hemisphere [ [link removed] ].
Add to this context the blunt reality, as I repeatedly said for years, that the United States is increasingly focusing on North-South relations while retrenching from East-West relations. The Caribbean is a focal point of these efforts, in large part because of Venezuela and its strong ties to China, Russia, and Iran. In 2023, I noted the rapidly rising risk of war coming to South America because of Venezuelan saber-rattling and I continue to believe the possibility of armed conflict remains elevated.
The U.S. build-up in the region [ [link removed] ] is already the largest since the Cold War, and it includes naval assets such as a cruise missile destroyers and a nuclear sub, aviation assets such as fighter jets, spy planes, and B-52 nuclear bombers, and 6,500 troops. The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment – the “Night Stalkers” of Black Hawk Down [ [link removed] ] fame – was also recently deployed, and the unit provides support for special operations forces.
It’s in this context that I find Petro’s UN speech and subsequent media stunt so stunning. It struck me as undignified for a head of state to visit another country and to brazenly call on that country’s armed forces to disobey that country’s commander in chief. How might Bogota react if President Trump visited Colombia and delivered a similar message? The relationship, I suspect, is likely to deteriorate further. In fact, just this morning, President Trump posted the following to Truth Social [ [link removed] ]:
I realize that as an American I’m biased, but I suspect that a productive working relationship with the United States is in Colombia’s best interests. Colombia should realize that America is serious about protecting its own interests, and that includes stopping the flow of drugs into our country. But as I’ve repeatedly said, America First doesn't mean America Alone. Colombia and the US can (and should) have a productive working relationship.
I’ve been closely watching Colombia for more than a decade and have spent time in Bogota, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena, and Medellin. I know the Colombian people are practical, hard-working, and above all peace-loving. They want a better life for their families and their communities.
Unfortunately, Colombia’s leader—a dogmatic socialist—has proactively decided to take on Trump, a practical capitalist. While the world is filled with uncertainty, it seems fairly certain that Petro’s escalation of tensions with the United States is unlikely to improve the lives of ordinary Colombians.
VIKRAM MANSHARAMANI is an entrepreneur, consultant, scholar, neighbor, husband, father, volunteer, and professional generalist who thinks in multiple-dimensions and looks beyond the short-term. Self-taught to think around corners and connect original dots, he spends his time speaking with global leaders in business, government, academia, and journalism. He’s currently the Chairman and CEO of Goodwell Foods, a manufacturer of private label frozen pizza. LinkedIn has twice listed him as its #1 Top Voice in Money & Finance, and Worth profiled him as one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Global Finance. Vikram earned a PhD From MIT, has taught at Yale and Harvard, and is the author of three books, The Making of a Generalist: An Independent Thinker Finds Unconventional Success in an Uncertain World [ [link removed] ], Think for Yourself: Restoring Common Sense in an Age of Experts and Artificial Intelligence [ [link removed] ] and Boombustology: Spotting Financial Bubbles Before They Burst [ [link removed] ]. Vikram lives in Lincoln, New Hampshire with his wife and two children, where they can usually be found hiking or skiing.
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