The US President and his Colombian counterpart have escalated the tone of their war of words, further raising strains bilaterally following American military units attacked Venezuela with the aim of deposing the leader of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He has cocaine mills and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Escalating Threats coupled with Claims
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, the US president threatened comparable military action against Bogotá, claiming Colombia faces serious problems and governed by a problematic figure who likes making cocaine and distributing it to America."
While Colombia stands as the leading source of the narcotic, there is no evidence implicating Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly tied to the trade.
A Frayed Relationship
Colombia has long been a staunch collaborator of Washington in the campaign against narcotics trade and benefited from bipartisan support from American politicians, however, the relationship have worsened significantly after Trump came to office.
Colombia’s drug trade is mainly overseen by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and breakaway groups of the former Farc guerrillas, most of its former fighters disbanded following a landmark accord.
The President's Firm Rebuttal
Upon being questioned whether a military operation similar to Venezuela was a possibility against his country, Trump responded: "I like the sound of that from my perspective."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the last century, rejected these allegations. "I am neither illegitimate and certainly not a narco," he declared.
"He comments without knowledge. End the false accusations," he wrote in a post.
"If US bombs target peasants, they will become thousands of guerrillas in the hills. If they capture the president, whom many of the population loves and respects, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," the president cautioned.
From Fighter to Statesman
He passed a period in his early life as a member of the leftist M-19 guerrilla group though it is believed he did not took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he was involved in writing the nation's constitution in 1991 and later became an influential politician. He served as mayor of the Colombian capital prior to his election president.
"I made a vow to abstain from using a gun ... but for the homeland I will take up the fight," he said.
Increased Security and Broad Condemnation
Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that Petro's security detail had received additional support.
Several members of Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump's stance, yet figures from all sides of the political spectrum have denounced the notion of a US attack on Colombia.
Political and Economic Sanctions
American authorities revoked his travel authorization after he urged American soldiers to disobey orders that violate law. Later, in October, the US enacted financial sanctions on Petro, the first lady and several key allies.
At the same time while America bolstered its military presence in the Caribbean and bombing suspected drug boats to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out operations against vessels off the Pacific coast adjacent to Colombia.
