Colombian President Gustavo Petro has repeatedly floated the idea of recreating Gran Colombia, the early 19th-century republic that included present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama, as a response to U.S. military actions targeting drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Pacific.

Speaking in Santa Marta, Petro suggested that a regional union, akin to the European Union, with a common parliament and shared leadership, could help Latin American nations counter U.S. pressure.

He framed the proposal as a continuation of Simón Bolívar’s vision of regional unity and independence from external interference.

Petro’s aide, Armando Benedetti, downplayed the remarks as symbolic, emphasizing brotherhood and regional peace rather than an actual merger of nations, the Miami Herald has reported.

The comments come amid rising tensions with former President Donald Trump, who recently sanctioned Petro, accusing him of involvement in drug trafficking without providing evidence.