Donald Trump along with Colombia's president have intensified the volume in their verbal conflict, further raising tensions between the two countries following American military units targeted Venezuela with the aim of deposing President Nicolás Maduro from power.
"He runs cocaine mills and production sites and his time is running out," Trump added.
Escalating Threats coupled with Claims
Addressing the press over the weekend, Trump suggested similar military action against Colombia, claiming the country is also "very ill" and governed by an unwell individual involved in producing narcotics and distributing it to the United States."
While Colombia is the leading cocaine-producing country, there is no evidence linking President Gustavo Petro, who was elected in 2022, is directly connected to the business.
A Deteriorating Relationship
Colombia has long been a key ally of Washington in the fight combating drug cartels and benefited from bipartisan support in the US capital, yet ties have deteriorated markedly after Trump came to office.
Its narcotics trade is largely controlled by criminal organizations such as one major cartel, the ELN guerrilla group and dissident factions of the former Farc guerrillas, a large contingent of whom demobilised subsequent to a landmark accord.
Petro's Defiant Response
Upon being questioned whether armed intervention like that in Venezuela was on the cards for Colombia, Trump responded: "It sounds good from my perspective."
President Petro, once a member of a left-wing insurgent group who demobilised in the 1990s, rejected Trump's claims. "I am not illegitimate and I am not a drug trafficker," he stated.
"He comments without information. End the false accusations," he posted in a post.
"Should American forces attack peasants, they will turn into a multitude of fighters in the mountains. And if they detain the president, which many of Colombians holds in high esteem, they will unleash the ‘jaguar’ of the people," Petro warned.
From Insurgent to President
He passed a period in his early life participating with the radical M-19 insurgent movement but is not believed that he never took part in armed clashes. Upon leaving the group, he participated in drafting the nation's constitution in 1991 and later became a prominent senator. He held the office of mayor of the Colombian capital before winning the nation's highest office.
"I made a vow to abstain from using arms again ... but for the homeland I shall resume weapons once more," he said.
Reinforced Protection along with Widespread Opposition
Colombia's defense chief announced that the president’s protection team was strengthened.
Several members of Colombia’s political right have sided with Trump, but voices from all sides of Colombian politics have rejected the threats of an invasion targeting Colombia.
Bilateral and Economic Strains
American authorities withdrew his travel authorization following he urged American soldiers to ignore unlawful commands. Months later, the US enacted economic restrictions on Petro, the first lady and several key allies.
At the same time the US was building up its troop levels in the Caribbean and targeting vessels thought to carry drugs to put pressure on Venezuela’s Maduro, the US also carried out strikes against vessels off the Pacific coast near Colombia.
