The US President along with Colombia's president have intensified the volume of their war of words, further raising tensions between the two countries following American military units targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and that won't last much longer," Trump remarked.
Growing Rhetoric and Accusations
Addressing the press on Sunday, the American leader suggested analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, asserting the country faces serious problems and “run by a sick man who enjoys creating narcotics and selling it to the United States."
Although Colombia remains the leading source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way tied to the trade.
A Deteriorating Partnership
Colombia was historically a key ally of the US in the fight against narcotics trade and benefited from wide political approval from American politicians, yet ties have soured significantly after Trump came to office.
The nation's illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters demobilised after a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Strong Response
Upon being questioned if armed intervention similar to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed decades ago, firmly denied the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate nor am I involved in narcotics," he declared.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he expressed in a post.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will become a multitude of fighters in the hills. If they capture me, whom a significant portion of the country admires and supports, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to President
He passed some years as a young man as a member of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate that he never engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he took part in writing the nation's constitution in 1991 and later became a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of Bogotá prior to his election president.
"I swore to abstain from using a gun ... but for the homeland I would take up weapons once more," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Broad Opposition
The Colombian defence minister announced that Petro's personal security had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with the US president, but voices from across the political spectrum have condemned the possibility of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Political and Economic Pressure
The US revoked his travel authorization after he urged US military personnel to refuse unlawful commands. Months later, the US enacted economic restrictions on Petro, his wife and various key allies.
At the same time the US was building up its troop levels in the Caribbean and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed attacks on maritime targets in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
