The US President along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the tone in their verbal conflict, further raising strains bilaterally after US forces struck Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates narcotics facilities and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Growing Tensions and Accusations
Talking to journalists on Sunday, the US president hinted at comparable armed intervention against Bogotá, claiming the nation is also "very ill" and led by an unwell individual who likes making cocaine and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the world’s largest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally tied to the trade.
A Strained Alliance
The country was historically a key ally of the United States in the struggle against drug trafficking and received wide political approval in the US capital, however, the relationship have deteriorated markedly since Trump assumed the presidency.
Its narcotics trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups like the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom disbanded after a landmark accord.
Colombia's Firm Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if military intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good from my perspective."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the last century, rejected the accusations. "I am no an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a message.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will become a multitude of fighters in the mountains. If they capture me, which a large part of the country admires and supports, they will unleash the powerful force of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Statesman
Petro spent some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization although reports indicate he did not engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he was involved in drafting the constitutional rewrite in 1991 subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election the presidency.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I will take up arms again," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures along with Widespread Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that Petro's protection team had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, however, leaders from across the political spectrum have condemned the threats of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Political and Economic Strains
The US revoked the president's entry visa following he called on US troops to refuse any illegal orders. In October, authorities imposed economic restrictions targeting Petro, his spouse and several close collaborators.
Simultaneously the US was building up its military presence in the Caribbean and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out attacks on boats in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
