"Come Get Me": Colombian President Dares Trump The Same Way Maduro Did

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has challenged US President Donald Trump in the aftermath of a United States operation in Venezuela. Petro slammed the operation on Monday and, in a statement to Trump, said, "Come get me. I'm waiting for you here."

"If they [the US] bombs, the campesinos will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And if they detain the president which a large part of the country loves and respects, they will unleash the 'jaguar' of the people," he warned.

Petro, who was a leftist guerrilla before demobilising in the 1990s, also said, "I swore not to touch a weapon again ... but for the homeland I will take up arms again."

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro appears to taunt U.S. President Donald Trump, saying, “Come get me, coward! I'm waiting for you here.” pic.twitter.com/Qk3MfsfsqO

— Geo View (@theGeoView) January 5, 2026

The tensions between the two nations boiled over when, after the attack on Venezuela, Trump told reporters on Sunday that Colombia is run by a man who is selling drugs to the US. "Colombia is very sick too, run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. And he's not going to be doing it very long, let me tell you," Trump said.

The Republican leader also said that launching an operation against Colombia "sounds good" to him.

In a statement on Sunday, the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the nation will "maintain international relations based on dialogue, cooperation and mutual respect"; however, it "considers threats or the use of force in relations between States unacceptable."

In October, Trump had sanctioned Petro and members of his family over ties to illegal drug trade.

Colombia is the world's largest producer of cocaine. The coca plant is cultivated in mainly three Latin American countries – Peru, Bolivia and Colombia.

In August, Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro dared Trump to "come and get him". 

"Come get me. I will wait for him here in Miraflores. Don't be late, coward," he said in a fiery speech in August after the US increased the reward for information leading to his arrest.

The White House on Sunday mocked Maduro in a video on X.

Nicolas Maduro had his chance — until he didn't.

The Trump Admin will always defend American citizens against all threats, foreign and domestic. 🇺🇸🦅 pic.twitter.com/eov3GbBXf4

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 4, 2026

The video showed a montage of Maduro taunting the US and footage of the raid to capture the Venezuelan leader and his wife, Cilia Flores.

The 61-second clip also featured scenes from Trump's press briefing on the Venezuela strikes, during which the US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said that Maduro "had his chance – until he didn't".

"He f****d around and found out," Hegseth was heard saying in the video, which has now gone viral.

After apparent months of planning, the US strike that resulted in the arrest of Maduro unfolded swiftly over the weekend, with American forces converging on Caracas to arrest Maduro and his wife.

Trump stated that Maduro and his wife have been indicted on charges of alleged "drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies" in the Southern District of New York and will face trial.