Donald Trump and President Gustavo Petro have intensified the rhetoric in their verbal conflict, further raising strains between the two countries after US forces targeted Venezuela to remove President Nicolás Maduro from office.
"He has narcotics facilities and production sites and is not going to be doing it very long," Trump added.
Escalating Threats and Claims
Addressing reporters on Sunday, the American leader suggested similar military action towards the South American nation, asserting the nation is also "very ill" and governed by a problematic figure involved in producing cocaine and trafficking it to America."
While Colombia is the globe's biggest source of the narcotic, there is no evidence that President Gustavo Petro, the nation's current leader, is directly connected to the illicit industry.
A Frayed Partnership
Colombia was historically a key ally of the US in the fight against narcotics trade and benefited from wide political approval from American politicians, yet ties have soured markedly following Trump assumed the presidency.
Colombia’s illicit drug economy is mainly overseen by illegal armed groups including the Golf Clan, another leftist insurgency and renegade units of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), the majority of whose members disbanded following a landmark accord.
Petro's Firm Answer
When asked if armed intervention comparable to Venezuela was a possibility regarding Colombia, Trump replied: "I like the sound of that to me personally."
President Petro, an ex-guerrilla fighter who disarmed in the last century, categorically refuted Trump's claims. "I am no illegitimate nor am I involved in narcotics," he affirmed.
"He comments uninformed. Stop slandering me," he wrote in a post.
"If they [the US] bomb rural communities, they will turn into thousands of guerrillas in the mountains. If they capture the president, whom a significant portion of Colombians admires and supports, they will provoke the ‘jaguar’ of the people," he admonished.
From Fighter to President
He passed part of his youth participating with the radical M-19 guerrilla group although reports indicate that he never took part in armed clashes. Following his disarmament, he was involved in creating the constitutional rewrite over three decades ago and later became a respected lawmaker. He held the office of mayor of the capital city before being elected the presidency.
"I swore to never again hold arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume arms again," he said.
Heightened Measures and Broad Opposition
Colombia's defense chief stated that the national leader's personal security was strengthened.
Many among Colombia’s conservative opposition have expressed support with Trump, however, leaders from all sides of Colombian politics have rejected the notion of an invasion on Colombia.
Diplomatic and Economic Sanctions
The US revoked his travel authorization after he called on US troops to refuse any illegal orders. Later, in October, authorities imposed economic restrictions on Petro, his spouse and several associates.
Concurrently the US was building up its forces in the region and bombing vessels thought to carry drugs to pressure Venezuela’s Maduro, American military assets also carried out operations against vessels off the Pacific coast off the Colombian coast.
