The US President along with Colombia's president have escalated the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, further raising strains bilaterally following American military units targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Growing Rhetoric and Allegations
Addressing journalists on Sunday, the US president threatened comparable armed intervention towards the South American nation, asserting the country is “very sick too” and governed by a problematic figure who likes making cocaine and trafficking it to the United States."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally tied to the trade.
A Frayed Relationship
This nation for decades served as a key ally of Washington in the struggle against narcotics trade and benefited from cross-party backing in Washington, however, the relationship have worsened dramatically after Trump came to office.
The nation's illicit drug economy is largely controlled by guerrilla factions such as one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), most of its former fighters demobilised following a historic peace agreement.
Petro's Defiant Answer
In response to a query if military intervention comparable to Venezuela was being considered against his country, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the last century, rejected Trump's claims. "I am neither illegitimate and certainly not involved in narcotics," he declared.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he wrote in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will turn into numerous insurgents in the hills. And if they detain me, whom a significant portion of the country holds in high esteem, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," he admonished.
From Insurgent to Leader
The president dedicated a period in his early life belonging in the left-wing M-19 armed organization but is not believed he did not participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in creating the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I swore to abstain from using arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume arms again," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Widespread Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief announced that Petro's security detail had received additional support.
Many among Colombia’s political right have expressed support with Trump, however, leaders spanning Colombian politics have denounced the threats of American military action on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Sanctions
Washington revoked his travel authorization following he called on US troops to disobey unlawful commands. Months later, authorities imposed economic restrictions targeting Petro, his wife and a number of associates.
At the same time the US was building up its military presence in the Caribbean and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed attacks on boats in Pacific waters near Colombia.
