The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the volume of their war of words, further raising strains between the two countries after US forces struck Venezuela in an operation to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has narcotics facilities and cocaine factories and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Escalating Rhetoric coupled with Allegations
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the American leader hinted at similar use of force towards the South American nation, stating the country faces serious problems and governed by a problematic figure involved in producing the drug and distributing it to the US."
While Colombia remains the globe's biggest cocaine-producing country, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is personally tied to the illicit industry.
A Strained Relationship
This nation was historically a staunch collaborator of the United States in the campaign against narcotics trade and benefited from wide political approval from American politicians, however, the relationship have deteriorated markedly since Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is predominantly run by criminal organizations like the Clan del Golfo, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and renegade units of the demobilized Farc, a large contingent of whom demobilised subsequent to a 2016 peace deal.
Petro's Strong Answer
When asked whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards regarding Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good from my perspective."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who left armed struggle in the 1990s, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he declared.
"The US president speaks without information. Stop slandering me," he expressed in a message.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. And if they detain the nation's leader, whom a significant portion of Colombians loves and respects, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the populace," the president cautioned.
From Guerrilla to Statesman
Petro spent a period in his early life belonging in the left-wing M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate he did not participated in combat. Following his disarmament, he participated in drafting the nation's constitution over three decades ago and later became a respected lawmaker. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital before winning president.
"I swore to never again hold a gun ... but for Colombia I will take up the fight," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures and Cross-Political Condemnation
The Colombian defence minister reported that Petro's personal security had been reinforced.
A segment of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump, however, leaders from across the political spectrum have denounced the possibility of a US attack on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions
American authorities revoked his travel authorization subsequent to he encouraged US troops to refuse unlawful commands. Later, in October, it placed asset freezes against the president, his spouse and several close collaborators.
Simultaneously while America bolstered its military presence in the region and striking alleged narcotics traffickers to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations on boats off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
