The US President along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the volume in their verbal conflict, further raising tensions bilaterally after US forces attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs drug factories and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump added.
Growing Rhetoric and Allegations
Talking to the press over the weekend, the US president suggested analogous military action against Bogotá, asserting Colombia is “very sick too” and led by an unwell individual who enjoys creating the drug and trafficking it to the United States."
Although Colombia remains the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly tied to the business.
A Deteriorating Alliance
Colombia for decades served as a close partner of the United States in the campaign against drug trafficking and received wide political approval from American politicians, however, the relationship have soured markedly following Trump assumed the presidency.
Its illicit drug economy is largely controlled by illegal armed groups like one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members demobilised following a landmark accord.
The President's Defiant Rebuttal
Upon being questioned if a military operation comparable to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump said: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who demobilised in the 1990s, rejected Trump's claims. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he posted in a message.
"If US bombs target rural communities, they will transform into numerous insurgents in the hills. If they capture the nation's leader, whom a large part of the population admires and supports, they will unleash the powerful force of the populace," he admonished.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent a period in his early life participating with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and eventually served as an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I swore not to touch a weapon again ... but for the homeland I will take up arms again," he affirmed.
Increased Security and Widespread Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the national leader's personal security had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures spanning the political spectrum have condemned the possibility of a US attack targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Sanctions
Washington cancelled Petro’s visa subsequent to he urged US troops to disobey orders that violate law. Later, in October, authorities imposed asset freezes on Petro, his wife and various associates.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its troop levels near Venezuela and bombing alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets have also conducted attacks on boats off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
