Petro’s Remarks Fuel Tensions Between Colombia and Bolivia

Written on 05/19/2026
Josep Freixes
Comments made by Colombian President Gustavo Petro regarding protests in Bolivia are straining relations between the two countries. Credit: Joel Gonzalez / Presidency of Colombia.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s statements about the protests and road blockades that have paralyzed different regions of Bolivia for weeks sparked a new diplomatic tension between Bogota and La Paz.

The president stated that “Bolivia is experiencing a popular uprising” and that it was “the response to geopolitical arrogance,” remarks that were publicly rejected by Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz, who accused Petro of interfering in the neighboring country’s internal affairs.

The controversy comes amid one of the most delicate political and economic crises Bolivia has faced in recent years. The protests, driven mainly by sectors aligned with former President Evo Morales, include road blockades, marches, and clashes with authorities, while the Bolivian government tries to contain shortages and growing social tension.

Petro’s remarks fuel tensions between Colombia and Bolivia

The dispute began after Petro published a message defending popular protest in Bolivia. “Latin America and the Caribbean must be heard by the world face-to-face in peace, and speaking frankly. My government is willing, if invited, to seek peaceful formulas for resolving the Bolivian political crisis,” the Colombian president added.

“There must not be political prisoners anywhere in the Americas. We must build a deep, multicolored democracy within our civilization, which comes from 60,000 years in the Americas, but also from the ancestral Mediterranean, Black Africa, and the deserts of the Sahara,” he stated.

His statements were interpreted in Bolivia as a direct stance on an extremely sensitive internal conflict, as they come amid the deep crisis Bolivia is facing, with protesters demonstrating in the streets against the administration and actions of new President Rodrigo Paz, who has been in power for only six months following the defeat of the left and the departure of Luis Arce.

In his remarks, the Colombian president referred to political prisoners, something that different sectors have linked to Morales, for whom the Bolivian Court issued an arrest warrant and declared him a fugitive after he failed to appear at the trial investigating an alleged relationship he had with a 15-year-old girl while he was president.

It is worth recalling that the man who held the presidency for 20 years is now legally a fugitive from justice.

The controversy surrounding former President Evo Morales

In this regard, Petro spoke out again this Monday, asking the U.S. justice system not to intervene in the case, as there are rumors that Morales could become involved in a drug trafficking investigation in that country.

“I ask the U.S. government not to attack former President Evo Morales. Do not confuse the social struggle of coca leaf-growing farmers with drug trafficking. Wait for the conclusion of the panel of experts from the UN commission on drugs,” the Colombian president wrote this morning.

“An attack on a legitimate former president and indigenous leader like Evo Morales will only fill all of Latin America with blood. As the flag of the first United States says, democracy and freedom in the Americas will grow through respect for diversity and dialogue,” Petro said.

For their part, Bolivian authorities responded that President Petro’s statements “did not reflect the good relationship between the two countries.” They also stated that the country’s problems must be resolved within the constitutional framework and through dialogue mechanisms that correspond solely to the Bolivian people.

“The transformations Bolivia requires, after nearly two decades of political tensions, institutional deterioration, and structural problems, must be driven by its own citizens, in a climate of peace, democratic responsibility, and full respect for national sovereignty,” they added.

Former President Evo Morales thanked Gustavo Petro from hiding, expressing gratitude for “defending Latin American sovereignty against the arrogance of imperialism.”