Gustavo Petro Orders Investigation into Crimes Against Civilians in the Caribbean Sea

The Colombian president is demanding that the State Legal Agency form a commission of lawyers to investigate murders committed by US military forces in the Caribbean Sea.

President Gustavo Petro orders a commission of Colombian lawyers to investigate crimes against civilians in the Caribbean Sea attributed to US war policies. Photo: EFE.

December 1, 2025 Hour: 6:29 pm

Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced that his lawyer, Dan Kovalik, has taken on the legal defense of the family of Alejandro Carranza, a fisherman from the city of Santa Marta, who was killed in one of the attacks carried out by Washington against boats allegedly transporting drugs in the Caribbean Sea.

This measure responds to reports of the murders of Caribbean civilians that, it has been revealed, occurred under direct orders stemming from the policies of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, under US President Donald Trump.

Petro shared the news via his account on the X platform. The Colombian president stated that the State’s legal agency, whose priority must be the defense of victims of violence in Colombia, should convene a commission of Colombian lawyers to investigate the crimes in the Caribbean Sea.

American lawyer Dan Kovalik initiated the legal defense of the Carranza family, denouncing the act as an “American assassination” and lamenting the lack of solidarity with the victims.

The context of these killings in the Caribbean is further complicated by the revelation that lawyers from the two major U.S. political parties have joined forces to examine Secretary Hegseth’s military policy. This examination seeks to determine responsibility for the crimes that allegedly resulted in the deaths of Caribbean civilians, focusing on the direct orders issued.

In another statement, Petro reiterated his accusation against the United States, stating that the actions in the Caribbean and the Pacific constitute “systematic murder, which is a crime against humanity.” The president referred to the 20 attacks announced by the White House since August 2025, under the pretext of combating drug trafficking, which have resulted in the deaths of more than 80 people. “I believe that even if it means traveling by canoe as in the past, the people of the Caribbean must meet in assemblies by region to unite and take action,” Petro stated, calling for regional unity.

The investigation by this commission of Colombian lawyers will seek not only to clarify the murder of Alejandro Carranza, but also to establish responsibility for other crimes against civilians in the Caribbean. This step is fundamental to challenging the use of force in the region and to protecting the local population from the lethal consequences of foreign military operations.

President Petro’s demand marks a clear stance in defense of national sovereignty and human rights. It seeks to establish a legal precedent that allows Colombia to investigate and prosecute those responsible for violations committed within its jurisdiction, sending a strong message against impunity in the waters of the Caribbean.