Donald Trump along with President Gustavo Petro have escalated the rhetoric of their exchange, further raising tensions bilaterally after American military units targeted Venezuela in an operation to oust President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs cocaine mills and processing labs and his time is running out," Trump added.
Escalating Rhetoric and Allegations
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, Trump suggested similar military action towards the South American nation, stating the country is also "very ill" and “run by a sick man who enjoys creating the drug and selling it to the United States."
While Colombia is the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, no proof exists linking President Gustavo Petro, elected two years ago, is personally tied to the illicit industry.
A Deteriorating Partnership
Colombia has long been a key ally of Washington in the campaign against drug trafficking and benefited from bipartisan support in the US capital, yet ties have soured markedly following Trump assumed the presidency.
The nation's illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups such as the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a large contingent of whom demobilised following a historic peace agreement.
Colombia's Strong Answer
In response to a query if armed intervention similar to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "That seems like a good idea from my perspective."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the last century, rejected these allegations. "I am no illegitimate and certainly not a drug trafficker," he affirmed.
"The US president speaks without knowledge. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a message.
"If US bombs target civilians, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. And if they detain the nation's leader, whom a significant portion of the country holds in high esteem, they will release the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Leader
He passed some years as a young man participating in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate to have ever took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he was involved in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and eventually served as a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I pledged to abstain from using a gun ... but for the homeland I shall resume the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures along with Broad Opposition
Minister Pedro Sánchez reported that the president’s protection team had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump's stance, but voices from all sides of Colombian politics have denounced the notion of a US attack on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions
American authorities withdrew his travel authorization subsequent to he called on US military personnel to ignore any illegal orders. Later, in October, authorities imposed financial sanctions targeting Petro, his spouse and various close collaborators.
Concurrently while America bolstered its forces in the Caribbean and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, US forces have also conducted attacks against vessels off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
