Ankara: Colombian President Gustavo Petro slammed the US government on Tuesday following the death of Joan Sebastian Duran Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian national who was fatally shot by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Biddeford, Maine. In a statement published on his US social media platform X account, Petro characterized the fatal shooting as state-sponsored murder and invoked historical human rights precedents to condemn the incident.
According to Anadolu Agency, Petro wrote, 'What happened in Maine constitutes a murder of a Colombian, a Latin American, at the hands of the US government.' He described Duran as a victim of state persecution and exclusion against a civilian population group for ethnic and cultural reasons. Petro argued that Duran was treated as 'an inferior being without rights,' despite holding valid legal status in the US. The president urged Colombia's foreign service in the US to take immediate legal and humane action against those responsible, while demanding an official statement from US President Donald Trump.
The shooting occurred while Duran was commuting between his two jobs. Reports indicate that ICE agents were conducting an operation targeting another individual when they intercepted Duran's vehicle. US authorities claim that Duran failed to stop in time, which was interpreted as an attempt to flee and use his vehicle 'as a weapon.' An agent fired at least four rounds into Duran's white sedan, classifying the action as self-defense.
A witness reported that as agents pulled a bleeding Duran from his car, his final words were: 'I tried to stop.' Duran, who leaves behind a wife and a three-year-old daughter, held full documentation and legal status in the US. He worked cleaning a veterinary clinic and delivered goods in his personal car.
The incident comes at a critical juncture for US-Colombia relations, which have faced significant diplomatic strain in recent months. The Colombian diplomatic mission in Washington, led by Ambassador Daniel Garcia-Pena, is handling the situation cautiously to prevent a complete breakdown in bilateral ties. The embassy has focused its formal inquiries on the Department of Homeland Security, seeking an independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting.