The US President along with his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their war of words, further raising tensions bilaterally following US forces attacked Venezuela to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from his position.
"He operates cocaine mills and production sites and that won't last much longer," Trump added.
Escalating Threats and Allegations
Addressing reporters over the weekend, the US president hinted at similar military action against Bogotá, asserting the country faces serious problems and governed by a problematic figure who likes making narcotics and trafficking it to the US."
While Colombia remains the world’s largest source of the narcotic, authorities have found no indication implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is in any way involved in the business.
A Strained Relationship
Colombia was historically a staunch collaborator of Washington in the campaign against drug trafficking and received bipartisan support in Washington, however, the relationship have deteriorated dramatically since Trump assumed the presidency.
Its narcotics trade is mainly overseen by guerrilla factions like the Golf Clan, the ELN guerrilla group and breakaway groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members laid down arms after a 2016 peace deal.
Colombia's Defiant Answer
Upon being questioned whether military intervention like that in Venezuela was being considered regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "It sounds good to me personally."
Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who disarmed in the 1990s, rejected these allegations. "I am not illegitimate and certainly not involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"He comments without information. End the false accusations," he posted in a message.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will transform into thousands of guerrillas in the hills. If they capture me, which a significant portion of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the nation," Petro warned.
From Fighter to President
The president dedicated part of his youth participating with the radical M-19 insurgent movement though it is believed that he never took part in armed clashes. After demobilizing, he participated in writing the constitutional rewrite in the early 90s and later became a prominent senator. He served as mayor of the capital city before winning president.
"I swore to abstain from using arms again ... but for the homeland I will take up weapons once more," he affirmed.
Heightened Measures along with Widespread Condemnation
Colombia's defense chief stated that the national leader's protection team had received additional support.
A segment of Colombia’s right wing opposition have allied themselves with the US president, however, leaders from across Colombian politics have rejected the possibility of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Political and Financial Strains
The US cancelled the president's entry visa after he called on American soldiers to ignore orders that violate law. In October, authorities imposed financial sanctions against the president, the first lady and a number of associates.
Simultaneously as the US increased its troop levels in the Caribbean and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out attacks on boats in Pacific waters adjacent to Colombia.
