The US President and President Gustavo Petro have escalated the tone in their verbal conflict, increasing strains in their relations after American military units targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has drug factories and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump added.
Escalating Threats and Accusations
Talking to the press over the weekend, the American leader suggested similar use of force against Colombia, stating the nation is “very sick too” and led by a problematic figure who enjoys creating the drug and selling it to the US."
While Colombia is the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way connected to the business.
A Deteriorating Partnership
Colombia has long been a close partner of Washington in the struggle against drug trafficking and benefited from cross-party backing in the US capital, however, the relationship have deteriorated significantly since Trump assumed the presidency.
Its drug trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions including the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Strong Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised decades ago, rejected the accusations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader nor am I a drug trafficker," he stated.
"He comments without knowledge. End the false accusations," he expressed in a post.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And should they arrest the nation's leader, whom a significant portion of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Leader
He passed part of his youth belonging of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed that he never participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he participated in creating the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the capital city 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 vowed.
Heightened Measures along with Widespread Opposition
Colombia's defense chief reported that the national leader's personal security had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump's stance, yet figures from across Colombian politics have rejected the notion of an invasion on Colombia.
Political and Economic Pressure
The US cancelled the president's entry visa following he encouraged US troops to ignore any illegal orders. In October, it placed economic restrictions on Petro, his spouse and a number of associates.
Concurrently the US was building up its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations on boats in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
