Petro alleges U.S. bombing killed Dominicans in Caribbean waters

Bogota.- Colombian President Gustavo Petro has ignited a diplomatic firestorm by alleging that two bodies discovered on a beach in La Guajira were Dominican fishermen killed in what he claims were U.S. bombings, AFP reported. The bodies, found near a small fishing village last week, showed signs of mutilation —one arm missing— which Petro suggested could be evidence of an attack by American forces against suspected narco-boats in Caribbean waters.

The accusation follows a string of U.S. military operations targeting alleged drug-trafficking vessels since September, with nearly 20 boats struck in both the Caribbean and Pacific. Petro stated that U.S. forces have already accounted for 87 fatalities in these missions and argued that these are, in reality, “extrajudicial executions” rather than purely anti-narcotics actions.

“What apparently were fishermen bombed in the Caribbean Sea appear to be citizens of the Dominican Republic,” Petro wrote on X, urging Colombia’s CTI investigative unit and requesting cooperation from the Dominican government to properly identify the deceased. He also asserted that the incident represented a broader violation of Caribbean sovereign rights, noting that “there are no international waters in the Caribbean; they belong to our Caribbean nations.”

According to AFP, Colombia’s police confirmed the bodies were recovered last week but have not yet established the cause of death. Petro’s challenge puts pressure on authorities in Colombia and the Dominican Republic, raising urgent questions about whether U.S. strikes in international waters are being conducted with sufficient respect for mariner safety and national jurisdiction.

This development could escalate into a regional crisis. Petro has called on the Dominican government to aid in identifying the victims, while human rights advocates and legal experts are poised to scrutinize the legality of the U.S. operations. If confirmed, the deaths of Dominican nationals could upset diplomatic relations and lead to calls for accountability in international forums like the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.