The US President along with Colombia's president have escalated the volume of their exchange, further raising strains between the two countries following US forces targeted Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He operates drug factories and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Rising Threats and Allegations
Talking to journalists on Sunday, the US president hinted at analogous use of force against Colombia, claiming the country is also "very ill" and “run by a problematic figure involved in producing cocaine and selling it to the United States."
Although Colombia is the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is in any way involved in the business.
A Frayed Partnership
The country has long been a close partner of the United States in the struggle against drug trafficking and enjoyed cross-party backing in Washington, yet ties have deteriorated dramatically since Trump was elected.
The nation's narcotics trade is largely controlled by guerrilla factions including the Golf Clan, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded following a historic peace agreement.
The President's Strong Rebuttal
When asked if a military operation similar to Venezuela was on the cards against his country, Trump replied: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed decades ago, firmly denied the accusations. "I am no illegitimate nor am I a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he expressed in a post.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will transform into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And should they arrest me, whom a significant portion of the population holds in high esteem, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to President
He passed some years as a young man participating of the leftist M-19 insurgent movement although reports indicate to have ever participated in combat. After demobilizing, he took part in drafting the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the presidency.
"I made a vow not to touch a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I shall resume weapons once more," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Rejection
Colombia's defense chief reported that the national leader's security detail had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have sided with the US president, however, leaders spanning Colombian politics have denounced the possibility of American military action on Colombia.
Bilateral and Financial Strains
Washington cancelled the president's entry visa subsequent to he urged US troops to disobey any illegal orders. In October, authorities imposed asset freezes on Petro, his spouse and a number of key allies.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its military presence near Venezuela and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces executed attacks on maritime targets in the eastern Pacific region near Colombia.
