Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have turned up the volume of their exchange, increasing tensions in their relations after American military units attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He has narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and his time is running out," Trump added.
Escalating Threats and Claims
Talking to the press on Sunday, Trump hinted at analogous armed intervention against Bogotá, claiming the country is “very sick too” and led by a sick man who enjoys creating cocaine and trafficking it to America."
While Colombia stands as the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way tied to the business.
A Deteriorating Relationship
The country has long been a close partner of Washington in the campaign against narcotics trade and benefited from cross-party backing in Washington, yet ties have worsened dramatically since Trump assumed the presidency.
Its illicit drug economy is predominantly run by criminal organizations like one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom laid down arms after a landmark accord.
Petro's Firm Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me personally."
The Colombian leader, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the last century, firmly denied these allegations. "I am neither an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"He comments without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And should they arrest the president, whom a significant portion of the country admires and supports, they will unleash the powerful force of the populace," Petro warned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
The president dedicated some years as a young man belonging with the radical M-19 guerrilla group but is not believed to have ever engaged in fighting. Following his disarmament, he took part in writing a new constitution in 1991 subsequently becoming an influential politician. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I pledged not to touch a gun ... but for the homeland I would take up arms again," he vowed.
Heightened Measures along with Cross-Political Opposition
Colombia's defense chief stated that the national leader's personal security was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, yet figures from across Colombian politics have condemned the possibility of an invasion against their nation.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
American authorities cancelled his travel authorization following he urged US troops to disobey unlawful commands. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes on Petro, the first lady and a number of associates.
Concurrently the US was building up its troop levels in the region and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out attacks on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
