President Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have intensified the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, further raising strains between the two countries following US forces targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He operates cocaine mills and production sites and his time is running out," Trump added.
Escalating Rhetoric and Claims
Talking to the press on Sunday, the US president threatened analogous military action against Bogotá, asserting the nation faces serious problems and governed by a sick man who enjoys creating the drug and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia is the world’s largest source of the narcotic, no proof exists that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly involved in the trade.
A Strained Partnership
This nation was historically a staunch collaborator of the US in the fight against drug trafficking and enjoyed cross-party backing from American politicians, yet ties have worsened dramatically after Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is predominantly run by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom disbanded after a historic peace agreement.
The President's Strong Answer
When asked whether military intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump said: "It sounds good from my perspective."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed decades ago, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"He comments without knowledge. Cease defaming me," he expressed in a message.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will turn into numerous insurgents across the countryside. And if they detain the president, which many of the population admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Fighter to Leader
The president dedicated a period in his early life as a member in the left-wing M-19 armed organization although reports indicate to have ever participated in combat. After demobilizing, he participated in drafting the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of the Colombian capital before being elected the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to abstain from using arms again ... but for the homeland I will take up weapons once more," he vowed.
Increased Security along with Widespread Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief reported that Petro's security detail was strengthened.
A segment of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump's stance, yet figures from across Colombian politics have condemned the notion of a US attack against their nation.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
American authorities withdrew his travel authorization following he urged American soldiers to disobey any illegal orders. In October, it placed asset freezes against the president, his wife and several associates.
At the same time the US was building up its troop levels in the Caribbean and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out strikes on maritime targets off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
