The US President along with President Gustavo Petro have turned up the tone of their exchange, increasing tensions bilaterally after US forces targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Rising Tensions and Accusations
Speaking to the press over the weekend, the American leader hinted at comparable use of force against Bogotá, asserting the country is “very sick too” and “run by a problematic figure who likes making cocaine and selling it to the US."
While Colombia remains the leading cocaine-producing country, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally connected to the trade.
A Frayed Partnership
This nation for decades served as a staunch collaborator of the US in the campaign against drug trafficking and received wide political approval in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated significantly following Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's narcotics trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups such as the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members laid down arms after a historic peace agreement.
The President's Strong Response
When asked whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered for Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed decades ago, categorically refuted the accusations. "I am no illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he posted online.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will become a multitude of fighters in the hills. If they capture me, which a significant portion of the country admires and supports, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the populace," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Statesman
The president dedicated some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate that he never engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he was involved in creating the nation's constitution in 1991 and later became an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election president.
"I made a vow not to touch a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume weapons once more," he said.
Increased Security along with Cross-Political Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister announced that the president’s personal security had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with the US president, but voices from across the political spectrum have denounced the possibility of a US attack against their nation.
Political and Economic Sanctions
American authorities cancelled Petro’s visa following he called on American soldiers to ignore unlawful commands. In October, authorities imposed asset freezes targeting Petro, his spouse and a number of associates.
Concurrently while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted attacks against vessels in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
