The US President along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the rhetoric of their exchange, increasing tensions between the two countries following US forces attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has drug factories and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Growing Rhetoric coupled with Claims
Talking to the press over the weekend, the US president suggested analogous use of force against Colombia, claiming Colombia is also "very ill" and “run by an unwell individual involved in producing the drug and selling it to the US."
Although Colombia remains the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly connected to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Partnership
The country has long been a key ally of Washington in the struggle against narcotics trade and enjoyed wide political approval in the US capital, yet ties have soured significantly after Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's narcotics trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions like the Clan del Golfo, another leftist insurgency and dissident factions of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom laid down arms subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
The President's Strong Answer
In response to a query if armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was being considered regarding Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good to me."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed decades ago, firmly denied the accusations. "I am not illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"He comments without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he expressed in a post.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture me, which a large part of the population loves and respects, they will release the powerful force of the people," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Statesman
The president dedicated part of his youth participating of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate he did not took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he participated in drafting the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and later became a prominent senator. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I swore not to touch a gun ... but in defense of my country I shall resume the fight," he said.
Increased Security and Broad Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that Petro's security detail had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with the US president, however, leaders spanning the political spectrum have rejected the possibility of an invasion against their nation.
Political and Financial Sanctions
American authorities withdrew his travel authorization after he called on American soldiers to disobey any illegal orders. Later, in October, authorities imposed financial sanctions against the president, the first lady and a number of close collaborators.
Simultaneously as the US increased its troop levels in the region and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out attacks against vessels in the eastern Pacific region adjacent to Colombia.
