The US President along with Colombia's president have turned up the volume of their exchange, increasing tensions bilaterally after US forces targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates drug factories and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Growing Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Talking to the press on Sunday, the US president threatened comparable use of force towards the South American nation, claiming Colombia is “very sick too” and “run by an unwell individual involved in producing narcotics and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia is the world’s largest producer of cocaine, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly connected to the illicit industry.
A Strained Relationship
Colombia for decades served as a close partner of Washington in the struggle combating drug cartels and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, yet ties have soured dramatically after Trump came to office.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is largely controlled by illegal armed groups like the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters disbanded after a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Defiant Response
When asked whether military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle decades ago, rejected the accusations. "I am not illegitimate nor am I involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a message.
"Should American forces attack rural communities, they will become numerous insurgents in the mountains. If they capture the nation's leader, which many of the population loves and respects, they will provoke the powerful force of the populace," he admonished.
From Insurgent to Leader
He passed part of his youth belonging of the leftist M-19 armed organization although reports indicate to have ever participated in combat. After demobilizing, he participated in creating the constitutional rewrite in 1991 subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He was mayor of Bogotá before being elected the presidency.
"I pledged to never again hold arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Reinforced Protection and Broad Rejection
Colombia's defense chief announced that Petro's security detail had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have expressed support with the US president, yet figures from all sides of Colombian politics have denounced the threats of American military action targeting Colombia.
Political and Economic Strains
Washington withdrew Petro’s visa following he called on US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. In October, it placed economic restrictions against the president, his wife and a number of associates.
At the same time as the US increased its forces in the Caribbean and striking suspected drug boats to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out attacks on maritime targets in Pacific waters near Colombia.
