The US President and President Gustavo Petro have escalated the tone in their verbal conflict, further raising tensions bilaterally after American military units targeted Venezuela to remove the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He runs drug factories and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Growing Threats and Allegations
Talking to journalists over the weekend, the American leader threatened similar armed intervention against Colombia, asserting Colombia is also "very ill" and led by a sick man who enjoys creating cocaine and distributing it to America."
While Colombia is the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally tied to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Partnership
This nation for decades served as a staunch collaborator of Washington in the campaign combating drug cartels and enjoyed bipartisan support in the US capital, yet ties have worsened significantly since Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by criminal organizations such as the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members laid down arms following a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Strong Response
When asked if armed intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility for Colombia, Trump said: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the last century, rejected the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate and I am not a narco," he declared.
"The US president speaks without information. End the false accusations," he posted in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb peasants, they will transform into numerous insurgents in the hills. And if they detain the president, which a significant portion of the country loves and respects, they will unleash the fierce spirit of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Insurgent to Statesman
He passed part of his youth as a member in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate he did not engaged in fighting. After demobilizing, he participated in creating the nation's constitution over three decades ago and later became a prominent senator. He was mayor of Bogotá prior to his election president.
"I pledged to never again hold a gun ... but in defense of my country I will take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Widespread Rejection
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that Petro's security detail was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have expressed support with Trump, but voices spanning Colombian politics have denounced the notion of an invasion against their nation.
Political and Financial Strains
Washington withdrew Petro’s visa following he called on US troops to disobey any illegal orders. Later, in October, authorities imposed asset freezes on Petro, his spouse and a number of key allies.
Concurrently as the US increased its forces in the Caribbean and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations on maritime targets in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
