Ambassador Slams Trump’s Silence After ICE Kills Colombian Man
Colombia’s Ambassador to the United States, Daniel Garcia-Peña, this week questioned the silence of President Donald Trump’s administration regarding the case of Joan Sebastian Duran, the Colombian citizen who died during an operation conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the state of Maine.
The statement heightened diplomatic tensions surrounding an incident that has generated concern both in Colombia and among organizations defending migrant rights in the United States. It has also drawn criticism over the lack of public statements from Colombia’s incoming administration, led by Abelardo de la Espriella.
Duran’s death has sparked a growing wave of political and social reactions. While family members, activists, and Colombian authorities are demanding explanations about the circumstances of the incident, the Colombian government has insisted on the need for a thorough and independent investigation.
The lack of a public response from senior officials in Washington has been interpreted by some sectors as a sign of indifference toward a case involving a foreign citizen with a work permit who was not a target of immigration authorities.
Ambassador slams Trump’s silence after ICE kills Colombian man
In an interview with local outlet El Espectador, the Colombian ambassador expressed his dissatisfaction with the absence of official statements from the White House and other U.S. government agencies regarding Duran’s death.
According to Garcia-Peña, the case deserves a clear response from U.S. authorities because of the seriousness of the events and the impact it has had on public opinion in both countries.
“From the very first day, we submitted the corresponding protest notes and requests for clarification of the facts. We sent them both to Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, and to the Department of Justice, which oversees the FBI, requesting an investigation and demanding to know what happened. And to this day, there has been no response from the government, ICE, or any of these interlocutors,” Garcia-Peña told the outlet.
The diplomat said that Colombia expects detailed information about what occurred and recalled that the protection of fundamental rights must apply without distinction of nationality or immigration status.
He also insisted that the historic cooperation between Bogota and Washington requires transparency when situations arise that affect Colombian citizens on U.S. soil.
The events have generated condemnation in both the United States and Colombia. Figures such as former Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar criticized the actions of immigration agents. In addition, former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe lamented Duran’s death, and President Gustavo Petro called for legal action to be pursued.
Solicito al consulado poner acusación formal a.este integrante de ICE que asesinó a Joan Sebastian Guerrero https://t.co/uQrE31m63s
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) July 16, 2026
Meanwhile, Ambassador Garcia-Peña lamented that Colombia’s vice president-elect, Jose Manuel Restrepo—who was coincidentally on a tour of Washington this week—did not speak out about the incident involving the death of a Colombian citizen due to an alleged use of excessive force.
“To me, it is unbelievable that there has been no statement, not even a mention of the issue. It must be acknowledged that people on the right, for example María Elvira Salazar, the South Florida member of the House of Representatives, who has been 100% pro-Trump, dared to speak out and, to her credit, courageously stated that in this case there had been an excess. It must also be said that former President Uribe expressed his views in a post as well, but from the incoming government there has been absolutely nothing,” he said.
The Case of Joan Sebastian Duran
According to the information known so far, Joan Sebastian Duran died during an intervention by ICE agents in Maine. Although the exact circumstances of the incident remain under investigation, the case has raised questions about the actions of the officials involved and the protocols applied during the operation.
Family members and people close to the victim have requested that U.S. authorities fully clarify what happened. They have also asked for access to all available records, including official reports, testimonies, and any possible recordings that could help reconstruct the events accurately.
In Colombia, different political sectors have expressed concern over the death of the Colombian citizen and have supported the call for a transparent investigation. For many observers, the main challenge is determining whether the procedures used by the agents complied with existing regulations and whether there were failures that may have contributed to the fatal outcome.
The Colombian government has maintained diplomatic contacts with U.S. authorities to obtain official information about the case. Sources close to the process have indicated that Bogota is seeking details about how the operation unfolded, the actions of the agents, and the status of any internal investigations that may be underway.
Calls for transparency have also been supported by human rights organizations, which consider an independent review of the events essential. These groups argue that any death occurring during an action by a federal agency must be examined rigorously to ensure accountability and preserve public trust in institutions.
Meanwhile, the absence of public statements from the Trump administration remains one of the aspects most criticized by those following the case. For Colombian representatives, an official statement would help address concerns and demonstrate the United States’ commitment to clarifying what occurred.
¿Por qué esta noticia, que ha conmocionado al mundo, no ha tenido en Colombia el despliegue informativo que amerita? La escuché muy temprano ayer en @BluRadioCo, pero desde entonces ha ocupado un lugar marginal en la agenda mediática. ¿Qué explica ese “silencio”?…
— Mábel Lara (@MabelLaraNews) July 15, 2026