President Trump and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their war of words, increasing strains between the two countries following US forces attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories and his time is running out," Trump added.
Rising Rhetoric coupled with Accusations
Addressing the press over the weekend, the American leader hinted at comparable military action against Bogotá, stating the nation is “very sick too” and “run by a sick man who enjoys creating narcotics and distributing it to America."
Although Colombia is the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly tied to the trade.
A Frayed Partnership
Colombia has long been a staunch collaborator of Washington in the campaign combating drug cartels and received bipartisan support in Washington, but relations have worsened dramatically after Trump came to office.
Its drug trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations including the Clan del Golfo, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom demobilised subsequent to a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Defiant Answer
When asked if military intervention like that in Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump said: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
The Colombian leader, a former leftist guerrilla who demobilised decades ago, firmly denied the accusations. "I am neither illegitimate nor am I involved in narcotics," he stated.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. If they capture the president, whom a large part of the population loves and respects, they will unleash the powerful force of the nation," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to President
Petro spent part of his youth belonging in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed that he never engaged in fighting. Upon leaving the group, he participated in drafting the constitutional rewrite in 1991 and eventually served as a respected lawmaker. He was mayor of Bogotá before winning president.
"I made a vow to never again hold a weapon again ... but in defense of my country I would take up the fight," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Broad Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the national leader's security detail had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with Trump, yet figures from all sides of the political spectrum have rejected the notion of American military action targeting Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Pressure
American authorities cancelled Petro’s visa following he called on US military personnel to disobey unlawful commands. In October, the US enacted asset freezes targeting Petro, his wife and a number of key allies.
At the same time the US was building up its troop levels near Venezuela and striking vessels thought to carry drugs against Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets executed strikes against vessels in Pacific waters off the Colombian coast.
