The US President along with President Gustavo Petro have intensified the tone of their war of words, increasing strains bilaterally after US forces attacked Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has drug factories and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump remarked.
Escalating Rhetoric coupled with Allegations
Talking to journalists on Sunday, Trump hinted at comparable armed intervention against Bogotá, asserting the nation is also "very ill" and “run by an unwell individual who enjoys creating narcotics and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia is the world’s largest cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication that President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is directly connected to the business.
A Frayed Relationship
Colombia was historically a close partner of Washington in the campaign against narcotics trade and enjoyed cross-party backing in Washington, but relations have deteriorated dramatically since Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's drug trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations including the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the demobilized Farc, the majority of whose members demobilised after a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Defiant Answer
Upon being questioned if military intervention comparable to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump said: "It sounds good to me."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who disarmed in the 1990s, rejected Trump's claims. "I am no an illegitimate leader and I am not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"He comments uninformed. End the false accusations," he wrote online.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas across the countryside. If they capture the president, which many of Colombians loves and respects, they will release the fierce spirit of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
The president dedicated part of his youth participating of the leftist M-19 armed organization though it is believed to have ever took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he participated in drafting the nation's constitution in the early 90s subsequently becoming a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of Bogotá prior to his election the nation's highest office.
"I swore not to touch arms again ... but for Colombia I will take up the fight," he said.
Increased Security and Cross-Political Rejection
The Colombian defence minister stated that Petro's personal security was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have allied themselves with the US president, but voices from all sides of Colombian politics have denounced the notion of an invasion on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Financial Pressure
The US cancelled his travel authorization subsequent to he urged US troops to disobey any illegal orders. In October, it placed financial sanctions targeting Petro, his spouse and various associates.
Simultaneously the US was building up its military presence in the Caribbean and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers against Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted attacks on boats in Pacific waters near Colombia.
