The US President along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the rhetoric of their war of words, further raising strains in their relations after US forces targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs narcotics facilities and production sites and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Growing Tensions and Claims
Talking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader hinted at similar armed intervention against Bogotá, claiming the country faces serious problems and governed by an unwell individual who likes making the drug and distributing it to America."
While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly involved in the business.
A Deteriorating Relationship
This nation for decades served as a key ally of Washington in the fight combating drug cartels and enjoyed bipartisan support in Washington, however, the relationship have deteriorated dramatically since Trump came to office.
Its drug trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations such as the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Strong Rebuttal
When asked if a military operation like that in Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the 1990s, firmly denied the accusations. "I am not an illegitimate leader and certainly not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he posted in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. And should they arrest the nation's leader, whom a significant portion of Colombians admires and supports, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the people," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to President
Petro spent part of his youth as a member with the radical M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed to have ever engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he took part in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 and eventually served as an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected president.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume arms again," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister announced that the national leader's security detail had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with the US president, yet figures from all sides of the political spectrum have rejected the notion of American military action targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions
American authorities cancelled the president's entry visa after he urged US military personnel to refuse any illegal orders. In October, it placed financial sanctions against the president, his spouse and several close collaborators.
Concurrently as the US increased its military presence near Venezuela and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed attacks on maritime targets in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
