The US President and his Colombian counterpart have intensified the volume of their exchange, further raising tensions bilaterally after American military units struck Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Growing Threats coupled with Claims
Speaking to the press over the weekend, the US president suggested analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, asserting the country is also "very ill" and governed by an unwell individual who enjoys creating cocaine and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally connected to the trade.
A Strained Alliance
The country has long been a key ally of the US in the fight against narcotics trade and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, however, the relationship have worsened significantly after Trump assumed the presidency.
Its drug trade is predominantly run by illegal armed groups such as one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members laid down arms following a 2016 peace deal.
The President's Defiant Answer
When asked if a military operation like that in Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump said: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the 1990s, rejected these allegations. "I am no illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"Trump speaks without information. Cease defaming me," he wrote in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. If they capture the president, whom a significant portion of the country holds in high esteem, they will release the powerful force of the people," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Leader
The president dedicated some years as a young man as a member with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever participated in combat. After demobilizing, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and later became an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election president.
"I swore not to touch a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I would take up arms again," he vowed.
Heightened Measures along with Widespread Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the president’s personal security was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with the US president, however, leaders from all sides of Colombian politics have condemned the notion of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Pressure
Washington withdrew the president's entry visa following he encouraged US military personnel to ignore unlawful commands. In October, it placed economic restrictions targeting Petro, the first lady and several key allies.
Simultaneously the US was building up its forces in the Caribbean and striking suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted strikes on maritime targets in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
