The US President along with President Gustavo Petro have intensified the volume of their war of words, heightening tensions bilaterally following US forces struck Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates drug factories and cocaine factories and his time is running out," Trump remarked.
Growing Rhetoric and Allegations
Talking to journalists on Sunday, the American leader suggested comparable military action against Bogotá, claiming the country faces serious problems and “run by a problematic figure who likes making the drug and distributing it to the US."
Although Colombia is the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally tied to the trade.
A Frayed Relationship
The country was historically a staunch collaborator of Washington in the fight against drug trafficking and enjoyed wide political approval in the US capital, however, the relationship have worsened markedly after Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s drug trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations including the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members demobilised following a historic peace agreement.
The President's Strong Answer
When asked if military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
President Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the last century, firmly denied the accusations. "I am no illegitimate nor am I involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will become numerous insurgents in the mountains. And should they arrest the president, whom many of Colombians admires and supports, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
The president dedicated part of his youth participating in the left-wing M-19 armed organization though it is believed that he never participated in combat. After demobilizing, he was involved in creating the constitutional rewrite in 1991 subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of Bogotá before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I will take up weapons once more," he said.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the president’s security detail had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have expressed support with the US president, yet figures from across the ideological divide have denounced the possibility of a US attack on Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Sanctions
American authorities revoked the president's entry visa subsequent to he urged US troops to ignore unlawful commands. In October, authorities imposed economic restrictions targeting Petro, his spouse and various key allies.
At the same time as the US increased its troop levels near Venezuela and targeting suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out strikes on maritime targets in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
