Colombia's pugilistic leftist president faced a fresh political setback Wednesday, after a once-allied party formally broke with his government citing missteps including the recent spat with US President Donald Trump.
The Liberal Party formally declared its independence from Gustavo Petro's legislative coalition, listing a string of grievances including "tensions in relations with the United States."
Petro's decision this week to turn back US military planes carrying Colombians deported from the United States made international headlines and sparked a brief but high-profile spat with Trump.
The two outspoken leaders used social media to trade personal barbs and threats of 25-50 percent punitive tariffs in a late-evening fight.
The incident shocked Bogota's diplomatic, political and economic establishment, who rushed to head off a trade war that would batter Colombia's economy and put thousands of jobs at risk.
The United States is by far Colombia's largest trading partner and the destination for valuable goods from oil to coffee to cut flowers.
"The Liberal Party will not be complicit in decisions that violate the rights of citizens or policies that threaten the stability of the country," party leader and ex-president César Gaviria Trujillo said in a statement.
The Liberal Party had already been estranged from Petro's leftist coalition, but the formal break could make it more difficult for his administration to pass promised reforms.
The party has 13 senators and 33 representatives in Colombia's lower chamber, where it is the largest stand-alone party.
In Colombia, passing legislation — such as Petro's long-promised health reforms — often requires ad-hoc coalitions and intense political horse trading among some 20 political parties.
— Times/AFP
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