The US President and Colombia's president have intensified the volume of their war of words, further raising strains between the two countries following American military units struck Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates narcotics facilities and processing labs and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Growing Tensions coupled with Accusations
Addressing the press on Sunday, the American leader hinted at analogous armed intervention against Colombia, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by a sick man who enjoys creating narcotics and selling it to the US."
While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly tied to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Partnership
This nation has long been a key ally of the US in the fight against narcotics trade and received bipartisan support in Washington, yet ties have deteriorated significantly after Trump came to office.
Its drug trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members demobilised subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
The President's Defiant Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the last century, rejected Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"He comments without information. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will transform into numerous insurgents across the countryside. If they capture the president, whom many of the country holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent a period in his early life participating of the leftist M-19 armed organization but is not believed that he never engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he took part in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of Bogotá before winning the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow not to touch a gun ... but for Colombia I shall resume arms again," he said.
Reinforced Protection and Broad Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief stated that the president’s security detail had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s right wing opposition have expressed support with Trump's stance, however, leaders spanning the ideological divide have condemned the possibility of a US attack on Colombia.
Political and Financial Strains
American authorities revoked the president's entry visa after he encouraged American soldiers to disobey any illegal orders. Months later, the US enacted financial sanctions targeting Petro, his spouse and a number of close collaborators.
Simultaneously the US was building up its military presence in the region and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted attacks against vessels in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
