Donald Trump along with his Colombian counterpart have intensified the volume of their war of words, heightening tensions in their relations following US forces struck Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs drug factories and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Rising Threats and Allegations
Addressing the press on Sunday, Trump threatened comparable military action towards the South American nation, claiming the country is also "very ill" and “run by an unwell individual who likes making narcotics and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly tied to the illicit industry.
A Strained Partnership
This nation for decades served as a key ally of the United States in the struggle against drug trafficking and benefited from wide political approval in the US capital, yet ties have worsened dramatically following Trump was elected.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations including the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group 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 Firm Response
Upon being questioned whether military intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump said: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the 1990s, categorically refuted these allegations. "I am no an illegitimate leader nor am I a narco," he stated.
"He comments without knowledge. End the false accusations," he expressed in a message.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. If they capture me, which a large part of the country loves and respects, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent part of his youth belonging with the radical M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed to have ever participated in combat. Upon leaving the group, he was involved in creating a new constitution in 1991 subsequently becoming a prominent senator. He was mayor of Bogotá prior to his election the presidency.
"I made a vow to never again hold a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I would take up the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Broad Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister stated that the national leader's personal security had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump's stance, yet figures from across the political spectrum have condemned the notion of a US attack on Colombia.
Political and Financial Sanctions
The US cancelled the president's entry visa subsequent to he called on US troops to ignore unlawful commands. In October, the US enacted asset freezes targeting Petro, the first lady and a number of associates.
At the same time the US was building up its forces in the Caribbean and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US executed operations against vessels in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
