The US President along with Colombia's president have escalated the tone of their war of words, increasing tensions between the two countries after American military units attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump added.
Rising Tensions and Accusations
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, the American leader threatened analogous military action towards the South American nation, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and governed by an unwell individual who likes making cocaine and selling it to America."
While Colombia is the globe's biggest producer of cocaine, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally tied to the trade.
A Deteriorating Alliance
Colombia was historically a key ally of the United States in the campaign combating drug cartels and received bipartisan support in the US capital, however, the relationship have soured dramatically after Trump was elected.
Colombia’s narcotics trade is predominantly run by criminal organizations including the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters laid down arms after a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Firm Answer
When asked whether armed intervention similar to Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea to me personally."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised decades ago, firmly denied the accusations. "I am no illegitimate nor am I a narco," he stated.
"Trump speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb civilians, they will transform into a multitude of fighters across the countryside. And if they detain me, whom many of Colombians loves and respects, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to President
Petro spent some years as a young man participating with the radical M-19 armed organization but is not believed that he never participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he participated in drafting the nation's constitution over three decades ago and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of Bogotá before winning the presidency.
"I made a vow not to touch arms again ... but for the homeland I would take up arms again," he said.
Increased Security along with Cross-Political Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister stated that the president’s security detail had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have sided with Trump's stance, yet figures from across Colombian politics have denounced the possibility of a US attack against their nation.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
The US revoked Petro’s visa following he urged American soldiers to refuse unlawful commands. In October, authorities imposed asset freezes targeting Petro, the first lady and a number of associates.
At the same time the US was building up its troop levels near Venezuela and targeting alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations on boats in the eastern Pacific region off the Colombian coast.
