The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume of their war of words, further raising tensions between the two countries after American military units struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates cocaine mills and production sites and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Rising Rhetoric and Accusations
Speaking to the press over the weekend, the US president hinted at comparable use of force against Bogotá, stating Colombia is “very sick too” and “run by an unwell individual who likes making cocaine and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication linking President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way tied to the illicit industry.
A Strained Relationship
The country for decades served as a staunch collaborator of Washington in the campaign against drug trafficking and received wide political approval in the US capital, but relations have soured dramatically since Trump came to office.
The nation's drug trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations such as the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom laid down arms following a historic peace agreement.
The President's Strong Rebuttal
In response to a query whether military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the 1990s, rejected these allegations. "I am no illegitimate nor am I a narco," he declared.
"Trump speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he expressed online.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And if they detain me, whom a significant portion of Colombians loves and respects, they will provoke the powerful force of the populace," Petro warned.
From Fighter to President
Petro spent some years as a young man participating with the radical M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate he did not participated in combat. After demobilizing, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and eventually served as a prominent senator. He was mayor of Bogotá prior to his election president.
"I made a vow to never again hold a gun ... but in defense of my country I shall resume the fight," he affirmed.
Increased Security along with Cross-Political Rejection
Colombia's defense chief reported that the national leader's personal security was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, yet figures from all sides of Colombian politics have rejected the notion of a US attack against their nation.
Bilateral and Financial Pressure
Washington withdrew the president's entry visa subsequent to he encouraged American soldiers to ignore any illegal orders. Later, in October, authorities imposed asset freezes against the president, his wife and various key allies.
At the same time while America bolstered its troop levels in the Caribbean and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces also carried out strikes against vessels off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
