President Gustavo Petro is reportedly considering ending U.S. military and CIA presence in Colombia, according to exclusive revelations from Blu Radio journalist Ricardo Ospina.
“President Gustavo Petro’s government is reportedly evaluating the possibility of ordering the withdrawal of U.S. military personnel and intelligence agency officials from Colombian military bases. No decision has yet been made from the Casa de Nariño [Colombian Presidential Palace],” reads a post published on X.com.
Petro mulls ending US military and intelligence presence in Colombia
The revelations follow days of tensions and aggressive exchanges between the Trump administration and Gustavo Petro. Trump notably called Petro an “illegal drug dealer,” arguing that the Colombian president is “a thug, a bad guy,” responsible for the surge in cocaine production in Colombia. The U.S. Secretary of State also referred to Petro in undiplomatic terms, calling him a “lunatic.”
Petro, for his part, said that the solution to the U.S.-Colombia crisis, and more broadly to global tensions, was to “get rid of Trump.”
Atención: El Gobierno del presidente @petrogustavo evalúa la posibilidad de ordenar el retiro de militares y de funcionarios de agencias de inteligencia estadounidenses de las bases militares colombianas. Todavía no hay decisión tomada desde la Casa de Nariño. Vía @UltimaHoraBLU…
— Ricardo Ospina (@ricarospina) October 23, 2025
Reportedly, there are currently 250 U.S. military personnel stationed in Colombia, along with 400 civilian contractors operating under U.S. defense and counternarcotics programs. These forces are stationed across Colombian military bases, where their main role is to train, advise, and support Colombian forces with intelligence and logistics. Key installations include:
Cartagena Naval Base (Bolivar Department), hosting U.S. naval liaisons and joint maritime training operations.
Tolemaida Army Base (Tolima Department), the main hub for special operations training and joint exercises.
Larandia (Caqueta Department), primary site for counterinsurgency and drug interdiction operations.
Palanquero Air Base (Cundinamarca Tolemaida ), key center for air operations and logistics.
Malambo Air Base (Atlantico Department), used for surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.
Apiay Air Base (Meta Department), supports air mobility and intelligence sharing.
The historic US military presence and cooperation in Colombia
The U.S. military presence in Colombia dates back to the early 1950s, and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has been involved since the 1960s, primarily through counterinsurgency and later anti-narcotics operations.
U.S.-Colombia military cooperation began formally with the 1952 Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement, signed after Colombia sent troops to support the U.S. in the Korean War, permitting limited U.S. personnel deployment and training operations in Colombian territory. Through the Alliance for Progress (1961), U.S. influence expanded into development and counter-insurgency programs.
By this time, the CIA began sustained operations in Colombia, focusing on intelligence gathering on insurgent movements during the Cold War and later on drug trafficking cartels. In 1964, the CIA backed Plan LAZO, an early anti-guerrilla strategy aimed at defeating Marxist insurgencies such as the newly formed FARC. CIA and DEA cooperation with the Colombian state deepened after the rise of drug cartels in the 1980s.
The military cooperation took a new dimension with Plan Colombia (2000), under which the U.S. Congress unlocked billion of dollars in funding and deployment of up to 800 military personnel and 600 civilian contractors, mostly for counternarcotics and logistical assistance. Through the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) signed on Oct. 30, 2009, which legalized U.S. access to Colombian military facilities without creating permanent U.S. bases.
During the early 2000s, CIA paramilitary advisers also assisted Colombian armed forces with surveillance technology, including drone reconnaissance and communications interception related to FARC and cartel targets.
Colombia amid US-Venezuela military tensions
Petro’s alleged decision to expel U.S. military and intelligence personnel from Colombia comes amid a growing U.S. military buildup in South America, as part of Trump’s war on drug cartels. Over 10,000 U.S. troops are currently deployed in the Caribbean, including 5,500 in Puerto Rico — where, according to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, they are training for military operations — and 4,500 aboard a naval force composed of eight surface warships, at least one submarine, maritime patrol aircraft, MQ-9 Reaper drones, and an F-35 squadron, all directed toward Venezuela.
This naval force has carried out a total of seven airstrikes against alleged narco boats in the Caribbean, mostly off Venezuela’s coast, but also near Colombia. In recent days, the U.S. expanded its operations into the Pacific, striking two alleged drug vessels near Colombia’s coast. Casualties are estimated to be close to 40.
In the background, however, looms the threat of a major U.S. military operation against Venezuela. Observers expect airstrikes on Venezuelan soil in the coming days, as suggested by Trump in multiple statements. More broadly, Trump has been signaling for weeks the possibility of a full-scale invasion of Venezuela, through military maneuvers in Puerto Rico and videos hinting at such a scenario.
Rapid, decisive lethality from the land, sea and air:
A look at U.S. military forces deployed to the Caribbean in support of the #SOUTHCOM mission, @DeptofWar-directed operations, and @POTUS' priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. @MARFORSOUTH… pic.twitter.com/C9l9VNXCWd— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) October 23, 2025
In this context, the U.S. feud with Petro has only intensified, as he has repeatedly stated that he will not assist the U.S. in such an operation, warning of the disastrous effects of a ground invasion of the neighboring country. Once a major U.S. ally in the Western Hemisphere for decades, the privileged U.S.-Colombia relationship abruptly ended under Petro’s presidency, and even more so under Trump, as the two ideologically opposed leaders systematically undermined decades of established relations.
According to Petro, Trump’s recent pressure on Colombia and on him personally stems from his refusal to support U.S. military operations against Venezuela. “Mr. Trump gets angry because I don’t support sending the Colombian Army to help the Americans invade Venezuela. No, sir!,” Petro declared in a recent interview with journalist Daniel Coronell.