BOGOTA — Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Friday he will not “take a step back” after the United States imposed sanctions on him, his family, and senior officials, marking the first time a sitting Colombian president has faced such measures.

“Fighting drug trafficking for decades and doing so effectively brings this measure upon me from the government of the society that we help so much to stop their cocaine consumption,” Petro wrote on the US social media platform X.

“Quite a paradox, but not a step back and never on our knees,” he added, vowing to appeal the decision.

Petro said his legal defense would be led by American lawyer Dany Kovalik.

The sanctions, announced by the US Treasury Department, also target First Lady Verónica Alcocer, Petro’s son, and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, one of his closest allies.

The move came as Washington announced the deployment of an aircraft carrier and a flotilla to reinforce an existing naval presence in Latin America aimed at countering narcotics trafficking.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Petro of allowing drug cartels to “thrive” and failing to curb their activities.

He said US President Donald Trump “is taking strong action to protect” the country from narcoterrorism.

Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, has long criticized the US-led war on drugs and has called for a new approach focusing on reducing demand and addressing inequality in producer countries. — Agencies