In a dramatic response to escalating tensions with the United States, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has proposed a radical solution: the political union of Colombia and Venezuela to recreate the historic Gran Colombia republic.
A Bold Response to U.S. Aggression
The South American leader floated this unprecedented idea during a fiery speech last week, directly linking it to countering what he perceives as U.S. military aggression in the Caribbean region. Petro specifically referenced President Donald Trump's recent actions, including sanctions against Petro and his inner circle that alleged, without evidence, that the Colombian leader is "an illegal drug dealer."
Petro's rhetoric turned particularly sharp when he declared, "America is not a continent of kings or princesses, princes or despots" in apparent reference to Trump. He continued with a revolutionary call to action: "Every dictator who has appeared here has faced rebellion. Isn't it time, then, to talk about Gran Colombia again?"
Historical Echoes and Modern Realities
The proposed union would seek to recreate Gran Colombia, the republic formed in 1821 that originally encompassed modern-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. Petro explicitly compared the need to resist current U.S. policies to independence hero Simón Bolívar's revolutionary struggle against Spanish rule.
The Colombian president doubled down on his proposal the following day, writing in an X post: "I propose to the peoples inhabiting this territory demarcated in 1819 to realize ... the reconstruction of this idea ... of a Gran Colombia." This marks not the first time Petro has invoked this idea; he previously suggested returning to Gran Colombia earlier this year to justify attending Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa's inauguration.
Political Realities and Symbolic Gestures
Despite Petro's strong rhetoric, analysts and political insiders were quick to downplay the likelihood of such a union actually materializing. Armando Benedetti, Petro's interior minister and right-hand man, described the proposal as largely symbolic, telling the National Post that "It is very difficult to imagine that five or six countries ... with so-called solid democracies, will somehow come together to form a single country."
Sergio Guzmán, director at Colombia Risk Analysis, noted that the idea of reviving Gran Colombia has been "part of Petro's imaginary and pipe dreams for decades." The proposal comes amid a bitter feud between Petro and Trump that has seen the U.S. implement tariffs and conduct strike campaigns against alleged drug boats, resulting in more than 70 deaths since September.
Most significantly, Petro's dramatic proposal underscores the complete breakdown in relations between Washington and Bogota, historically the White House's closest ally in the region. While the union itself may remain unlikely, the mere suggestion signals a fundamental realignment in hemispheric politics that could have lasting consequences for U.S. influence in South America.
