Colombia's Gustavo Petro Calls Nicolás Maduro a Dictator But Says No Evidence Links Him to Being a 'Narco'

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (R) and his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro (L) shake hands before a private meeting at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, on January 7, 2023 (Credit: AFP / YURI CORTEZ)

Ever since the United States and the Trump administration escalated their military campaign against drug trafficking organizations in South America, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has stood out as one of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's few remaining allies in the conflict.

But after months of public solidarity and support for Maduro, Petro called the Venezuelan authoritarian leader a dictator for the first time.