President Gustavo Petro has extradited nine Colombians to the United States, requested intervention from the emir of Qatar with Donald Trump, and announced his return to the UN. These actions come amid rising tensions with Washington. A columnist describes them as 'chess of nonsense,' criticizing the government's foreign policy.
In an opinion piece published on November 5, 2025, in Occidente.co, columnist Gustavo Álvarez Gardeazábal analyzes President Petro's recent actions amid tensions with the United States government and Donald Trump. According to Gardeazábal, Petro has skillfully played 'chess of nonsense,' a metaphor for diplomatic maneuvers that appear contradictory or provocative.
Among the highlighted facts, the columnist notes that in a few days Petro extradited nine Colombians to the United States, possibly in response to difficulties obtaining fuel for the presidential plane abroad or as a provocation to the 'gringo emperor.' Additionally, Petro publicly asked the emir of Qatar to intercede with Trump to 'tone down the fight,' while announcing his intention to return to the UN.
Gardeazábal warns of the risk that Washington might prevent Petro from entering U.S. territory for UN sessions in New York, similar to what happened with the Palestinian president in September. The columnist criticizes Petro's claim that he was placed on the 'Clinton list' for buying planes from Sweden instead of the United States, viewing it as a distortion of reality, a 'vice' of this four-year term.
In the internal context, Gardeazábal cites an article from El Tiempo the previous day reporting the advance of 'traquetos' with 25,000 armed men protecting 300,000 hectares of coca. According to military reports, this confirms the failure of Santos' 'peace' and Petro's 'Total Peace,' presenting Colombia as a 'narco state' in the eyes of the United States. The columnist suggests these tactics might imitate Trump's method with threatening tariffs.