BOGOTA, Colombia – Colombian President Gustavo Petro has a bold proposal in response to the United States’ mounting military presence in the Caribbean: A union between Colombia and Venezuela.

The South American leader is floating the idea of recreating Gran Colombia, a republic formed in 1821 that encompassed modern day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama.

Analysts and political insiders downplayed the likelihood of such a move, but the proposal underscores the breakdown in relations between Washington and Bogota, historically the White House’s closest ally in the region. Petro’s comments are the latest in a bitter feud with U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently sanctioned Petro and his inner circle, alleging without proof that the Colombian is “an illegal drug dealer.”

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