The US President along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the tone of their exchange, heightening tensions in their relations following US forces struck Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs cocaine mills and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Escalating Threats and Accusations
Addressing the press on Sunday, the American leader threatened analogous use of force against Bogotá, stating Colombia is “very sick too” and governed by a problematic figure who likes making narcotics and trafficking it to America."
While Colombia is the leading producer of cocaine, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly connected to the business.
A Strained Partnership
Colombia was historically a key ally of the US in the campaign against drug trafficking and received bipartisan support from American politicians, yet ties have deteriorated dramatically following Trump came to office.
The nation's illicit drug economy is predominantly run by illegal armed groups such as the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters laid down arms subsequent to a landmark accord.
Petro's Firm Rebuttal
When asked whether a military operation comparable to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
Petro, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised in the last century, firmly denied these allegations. "I am not illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he expressed online.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will become a multitude of fighters in the hills. If they capture the president, which a significant portion of the population admires and supports, they will unleash the powerful force of the populace," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
The president dedicated part of his youth participating of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became a prominent senator. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to abstain from using arms again ... but for the homeland I would take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Widespread Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that Petro's protection team had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with Trump's stance, but voices spanning the ideological divide have denounced the notion of a US attack on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Strains
American authorities revoked the president's entry visa subsequent to he urged American soldiers to refuse unlawful commands. Later, in October, authorities imposed asset freezes against the president, the first lady and several close collaborators.
At the same time while America bolstered its forces in the Caribbean and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed attacks on boats off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
