The US President and Colombia's president have intensified the rhetoric of their exchange, heightening strains bilaterally following American military units targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Growing Threats coupled with Claims
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, the American leader suggested analogous armed intervention against Colombia, stating the nation is also "very ill" and “run by a sick man involved in producing cocaine and selling it to the United States."
Although Colombia remains the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is personally tied to the trade.
A Frayed Relationship
This nation has long been a close partner of the US in the fight combating drug cartels and benefited from cross-party backing from American politicians, yet ties have soured markedly after Trump was elected.
Its drug trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations like one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Firm Response
In response to a query whether a military operation comparable to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea to me."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who left armed struggle in the 1990s, firmly denied Trump's claims. "I am not illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"The US president speaks uninformed. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a post.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will turn into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. If they capture the president, which a large part of Colombians admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to President
Petro spent a period in his early life participating with the radical M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed that he never engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he took part in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 subsequently becoming an influential politician. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I swore to never again hold a weapon again ... but for the homeland I would take up the fight," he vowed.
Increased Security and Broad Rejection
Colombia's defense chief announced that the national leader's security detail had been reinforced.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have allied themselves with the US president, however, leaders from all sides of Colombian politics have condemned the notion of American military action targeting Colombia.
Political and Economic Pressure
The US withdrew his travel authorization after he encouraged US troops to disobey orders that violate law. In October, the US enacted asset freezes on Petro, his spouse and several associates.
Simultaneously as the US increased its troop levels near Venezuela and striking suspected drug boats against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US have also conducted attacks on maritime targets off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
