The US President and Colombia's president have turned up the volume of their war of words, increasing tensions bilaterally following US forces targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has narcotics facilities and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Growing Rhetoric and Claims
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Trump suggested similar military action towards the South American nation, claiming Colombia faces serious problems and governed by a problematic figure who enjoys creating narcotics and distributing it to America."
Although Colombia stands as the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way tied to the illicit industry.
A Strained Relationship
The country has long been a staunch collaborator of Washington in the struggle against drug trafficking and enjoyed wide political approval from American politicians, yet ties have worsened dramatically following Trump was elected.
Its narcotics trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, most of its former fighters laid down arms following a landmark accord.
Colombia's Defiant Answer
When asked whether military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the 1990s, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am not illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"He comments without knowledge. End the false accusations," he posted in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will transform into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And if they detain me, whom a large part of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," he admonished.
From Fighter to Statesman
He passed some years as a young man belonging of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate that he never engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he took part in drafting a new constitution over three decades ago and later became a prominent senator. He was mayor of the capital city before winning the presidency.
"I swore to abstain from using a gun ... but in defense of my country I shall resume the fight," he said.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Rejection
The Colombian defence minister reported that Petro's security detail had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with the US president, yet figures spanning Colombian politics have denounced the notion of a US attack on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions
American authorities cancelled the president's entry visa after he encouraged US troops to refuse orders that violate law. Later, in October, authorities imposed financial sanctions against the president, the first lady and various key allies.
At the same time while America bolstered its military presence in the region and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations against vessels in Pacific waters near Colombia.
