Colombia's Petro downplays US aid cuts, but concedes military freeze would hurt

Colombia was once among the largest recipients of US aid in the Western Hemisphere, but the flow of money was suddenly curtailed this year by the shuttering of USAID, the US Government’s humanitarian assistance arm. Military cooperation has continued.

"What happens if they take away aid? In my opinion, nothing," Petro told journalists, adding aid funding often moved through US agencies.

But a cut to military cooperation would matter, he added.